In Love With A Killer
by Darkest Ember
Summary: Elena gets tricked into dating Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer.
1. Chapter 1

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 1: The Sighting

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><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer. _

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes. _

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

* * *

><p>The chill in the air would've bit at any human's skin, but Damon Salvatore was far from human. His dead flesh was probably colder than the winter temperature. He strolled down the nearly barren streets of the downtown area of Mystic Falls, a small, though thriving town in Virginia.<p>

The sun had long since set, leaving behind the cool bluish-black shadow of the night to cover the world. If anyone was bored or stupid enough to be out at this hour, they were surely in a warm bar getting drunk. They were always so much easier and fun when they were under the influence.

Damon was familiar with the town and knew where all the hotspots were. He stepped inside the Mystic Grill, a restaurant/bar located in the center of the street. A young blonde boy greeted him. "Do you need a table, sir?"

"Nope," Damon grinned, "I'm heading straight for the bar."

Countless eyes burned into the thick leather jacket covering Damon's back as he made his way through the maze of tables to the bar. He couldn't help but smirk at the reaction, regardless of how familiar it was to him.

He sat down in one of the available barstools and ordered a scotch on the rocks. He took small, leisurely sips at first while his piercing eyes scanned the room filled with potential meals. There were many females who had chosen to maintain their stares. However, it was the group of girls in a corner booth that caught his attention – namely because they _weren't_ staring.

Upon a closer examination, though, Damon almost choked on the next sip of alcohol. His eyes narrowed at the girl with the long brunette hair. How…how was this even possible? She looked exactly like Katherine. But, Katherine was dead, wasn't she? No, Damon decided, this wasn't Katherine – couldn't be Katherine. She looked too innocent, too kind.

He exhaled an unnecessary breath as relief and curiosity crept through his being. _Well this night just got interesting_, he thought, downing the rest of his drink before starting another.

* * *

><p>Caroline knew that time was passing much faster than she preferred. Her mother, the town's sheriff, had insisted that she followed a strict curfew of 1 A.M. She rolled her eyes at the very thought. She was a senior in high school, not some child. Surely she could figure out when she should go home.<p>

And though there weren't any boys involved in tonight's outing, she couldn't deny that she was enjoying herself. Elena was finally getting over her break-up with Matt. Bonnie hadn't mentioned a single word of her grandma's drunken witch mumbo jumbo. There was just laughter and an occasional illegal beverage or two – a relaxing break from the high school drama.

"So, I think my brother has the hots for you," Elena teased, pointing a French fry at Bonnie.

Bonnie shook her head in playful doubt. "How do you know that?"

"I only heard him saying your name in his sleep last night."

Caroline spat out the drink that was in her mouth and laughed. "Aw, you're the girl of his dreams!"

Bonnie blushed and tried to laugh it off. "It would never work. I've known Jeremy my whole life and I'll always only know him as your kid brother."

"Should I tell him to cancel the wedding?" Elena laughed.

At the sound of Bonnie's stunned silence, Elena and Caroline collapsed with laughter before being able to catch their breath. "That did it, now I have to pee," Caroline announced, sliding out of the booth and clinging to the edge of the table to steady her balance.

She walked over to the restroom and pushed the door open, gasping as her eyes met the eyes of a remarkably attractive stranger. His stunning looks seemed to act as a momentary distraction from all the blood behind him.

* * *

><p>Damon's mind had planned out countless scenarios that provided reasons why the brunette couldn't be his meal tonight. She offered so many possibilities and answers to so many questions. So, he finished his third drink and approached the first easy target in sight. Not wanting to waste any time convincing a stubborn human to do his bidding, he immediately compelled her to come with him into the restroom.<p>

He admired the lavish décor in the restaurant's restroom as he shoved the girl up against the stone wall and locked the door, all in one swift movement. "As much as a I enjoy the slow kill, I'm going to have to do this quickly," he sighed.

The girl's eyes widened. "W-what did you say?"

Damon smirked darkly as he took in the pleasurable sight of fear. "I'm going to kill you," he replied in a chipper voice.

She went to scream, but he stopped her. He lunged forward, using his vampire strength to crush her throat. The only noise she was able to produce was a wheezing gurgle. "You should consider yourself lucky," he snarled, his face mere inches from hers. "Normally this would be painfully dragged out."

His veins boiled and surfaced under his eyes, crawling out like demonic worms. Next, his fangs descended from his gums. It may be hard to believe that a couple sharpened canines could produce so much carnage, but the animal inside him made it possible. He positioned his body right up against her, giving her hardly enough space to gasp for air.

He reached down slowly for her right hand. A vampire could either bite the neck or the wrists for the quickest kind of death. For a moment of variety, Damon chose the latter option. He bit down into her wrist, his mouth completely devouring all flesh and vein in between. His teeth slid past her skin without any protest. He kept one hand wrapped tightly around her throat, efficiently silencing her.

The blood didn't seem to be flowing out of her thin veins fast enough. An animalistic grunt racked his chest as he slid his fangs up her arm, slicing two thin lines upward. Her flesh separated into nice, clean cuts. Blood began leaking into large puddles on the floor. Damon moaned into his bite, shoving her bloody arm up against the wall to bite into another portion. The blood smeared across the rough surface, surely causing her even more pain.

It didn't take much longer before she collapsed in his arms, a fresh corpse. Damon licked his lips, grinning like a wolf. That gave him just the right amount of energy needed to go pursue Katherine's twin.

He propped the window above one of the stalls open and dragged the body into the stall. He left her sitting there while he washed some of the blood off her hands, watching the diluted crimson substance spin down into the drain. As he threw out a clump of paper towel, he unlocked the door, silently hoping for dessert to come walking in.

And much to his surprise, a blonde girl strolled in just seconds later. He could tell that she was mesmerized by his looks, not that he blamed her. He stopped just short of attacking her once he recognized the face. She was sitting with his mystery girl. He could use her to play his game.

He opened his mouth to compel her, but noticed her impressed stare transform into a look of horror. To be fair, the blood was _everywhere_ and fairly hard to miss. He sighed, speeding her up against the bloody wall. He caught her stare again, and this time she couldn't look away.

"Forget about what you saw. You're going to go back to your friend with the long, straight hair and tell her that she has caught someone's interest. Then wait a couple minutes and look for me. Bring her to me."

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><p><strong>AN:** So here's the new story I've been working with. It's going to be more of a horror/romance than anything else. There will be gore. There will be sex. _And._ There will be evil Damon ;)

The next chapter of **The Boarding House** should be up sometime tomorrow. I'm almost done writing the chapter, but got distracted with fourth of july celebrating and working on this story lol

Well, as always, reviews are greatly appreciated. I know this chapter was pretty short, but it's just giving you a glimpse at how Damon _really_ is. Elena will eventually see this side of him, and that is where the fun begins.

Check out new vids too: .com/user/xDarkestxAngelx026?feature=mhee

And lastly, my birthday is about 2 hours away so I'm glad I got SOMETHING up before then :)


	2. Chapter 2

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 2: The Introduction

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><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer._

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes._

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

**Previously:**

_"Forget about what you saw. You're going to go back to your friend with the long, straight hair and tell her that she has caught someone's interest. Then wait a couple minutes and look for me. Bring her to me," Damon said._

* * *

><p>Caroline stepped out of the restroom with a blank, calm face – quite the contrast from her initial exuberant, lively mood. She returned to the table, taking steps that did not feel like her own, a mechanical feel. She slid into the both and locked her eyes on Elena.<p>

Bonnie and Elena had just finished talking about an upcoming school pep rally, and Bonnie asked Caroline what she thought on the matter. She snapped out of her dazed expression and gave Bonnie a disinterested look.

"How could you two be worried about _that_ when something so much bigger is going on right now?"

Bonnie and Elena exchanged looks of concern and confusion. "What are you talking about, Care?" Elena asked.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Clearly, I'm the only observant one here…Elena, that guy at the bar has been staring at you all night!"

They all turned to face the bar and were equally impressed with what they saw. All the drunkards had started to leave, which meant that there weren't many people left lingering at the bar. It wasn't too hard to figure out whom Caroline was referring to.

Elena felt heat rush to her cheeks as she took in her admirer's appearance. How could someone that attractive be interested in her? He was the definition of hot, the epitome of all things gorgeous – his jagged, thick black hair…defined body…structured face.

"How do you know he's been staring at me? I didn't even see him over there until just now," Elena challenged.

"Yeah, I don't remember seeing him either," Bonnie nodded.

"I ran into him coming out of the bathroom. He asked if I knew who the 'pretty girl with long brown hair' was, and I told him that I was friends with you. He…asked me to put in a good word for him."

The man glanced over in their direction and smirked, sending all three girls into a fit of high-pitched squealing and excitement. Elena hid behind her long hair and gulped down her soda, refusing to look back over there.

"There's no way it would work. Look at what he's doing to me!" Elena groaned.

"Not to mention he's way too old. Your aunt would never go for it," Bonnie added.

Caroline stood up abruptly and grabbed Elena's arm, maintaining an unexpectedly strong grip. "Get up," she ordered. "We are going to talk to him."

Elena stammered over excuses, sending a desperate, silent plea for help to Bonnie, who looked at her helplessly. Caroline managed to pull her out of the booth and continued tugging in the direction of the bar.

Elena's heartbeat rammed up against her chest and her lungs felt like they were ready to burst. _Why am I so nervous? It's not like this actually going to go somewhere. Besides, I've never seen this guy around town before. He's probably just passing through tonight. Caroline's wasting her time,_ Elena thought.

* * *

><p>Damon ordered two drinks once he returned to his seat at the bar. After Caroline left with his orders, he had to dispose of the body. By the time he had killed her, the wounds were too hard to find…there was far too much blood. He considered making it look like a horrible suicide, but decided against it. Instead, he propped open a horizontal window above the sink and shoved the body out. His powerful hearing confirmed that she fell into a dumpster.<p>

More blood smeared on his hands, so he wiped it off on his black pants and then closed the window. Perhaps in the morning he'll release a dog from a backyard and have it run rabid through the town as a means of the poor girl's death.

Caroline definitely didn't seem like the most confident person to carry out Damon's plans, but with his compulsion there was no way she could mess this up. He could hear her mentioning him to Elena, though he was far from pleased with her protests and lack of interest.

His fingers wrapped around the small glass in anticipation. _If she doesn't pull this off, I swear I'll rip her pretty blonde head off_, he thought, glaring in front of him.

Though after a few more minutes of persuasion, he knew without turning around to see that Caroline was bringing his prize to him. He turned around slightly and greeted them with a smile that was clearly having an effect on Elena. Her cheeks were bright red and she returned a nervous grin.

"This is my good friend, Elena Gilbert," Caroline said, gesturing to the brunette beauty. "Elena, this is…"

"Damon Salvatore," he supplied, reaching for Elena's hand and planting a gentle kiss on her bony knuckles. "Pleasure to meet you."

"I'll just leave you two alone," Caroline said with a pleased look as she stepped away and returned to their booth.

Damon was more than happy to see her leave; Elena, on the other hand, looked slightly terrified by her absence. He found her human nervousness absolutely adorable – to watch her fidget and squirm beneath his stare.

"So, _Elena_, what are you doing out so late tonight?"

Elena stumbled onto the barstool next to him. "Uh, well, my friends and I decided that we needed a night out. Plus, it's the weekend, so being out late isn't really that unheard of…"

"Well, then, can I interest you in a drink?" He slid the small shot glass in her direction. She eyed it with evident skepticism. He mentally laughed to himself; as if he needed to rely on some sort of date-rape drug to get what he wanted.

"I'm not really much of a heavy drinker," she said politely.

"Oh, come on. It's one drink!"

She pulled some strands of hair back behind her ear and eyed the drink a moment longer before gripping it and swallowing its contents.

* * *

><p>"How do you think she's doing?" Bonnie asked, her eyes glued to the couple at the bar.<p>

Caroline shrugged. "She's probably too nervous to really progress anywhere with him." Then a mischievous glint shone in her eye. "Why don't we help speed up the process?"

"What did you have in mind?" Bonnie asked, cautiously.

"Let's just leave without telling her. Then Damon will have to take her home!"

Bonnie didn't feel comfortable with the situation, but she did acknowledge that it might help Elena out in the long run. With a heavy sigh, she agreed and gathered her and Elena's belongings, following Caroline out toward the door.

"Bonnie," Matt said, approaching them. He was still wearing his blue uniform shirt, which meant he didn't have much time to talk.

"Hey, Matt. What's up?" she asked.

He glanced over at the bar awkwardly, hoping that she would understand where he was going. When the silence ensued, he shared his thoughts. "Do you know what's going on with Elena and that guy at the bar? I haven't even seen him around here before…"

"I'm not really sure. They just met tonight. I don't think Elena's really as interested in him as he is in her, so I wouldn't over think it, Matt."

"Yeah, okay," he replied softly. "Drive safely." He nodded to her and Caroline, watching them as they walked out the door.

* * *

><p>Elena felt herself relax ever so slightly as the alcohol slid down her throat, shot after shot, and began to take effect. She was still barely tipsy, though. "I really appreciate the drinks, but I should probably get back to my friends. This was supposed to be our girl's night," she explained.<p>

Damon had heard the other girls leave 30 minutes ago. He glanced over at where they had been sitting and laughed. "I don't think they minded…"

Confused by his words, she followed his eyes and found that their booth was abandoned. "They…left me?" she said almost sounding scared. With a groan she grabbed her cell phone out of her front pocket.

"There's no need for that," he said, boldly reaching forward and setting her phone on the bar. "Allow me to take you home."

Flashing yellow warning signs began appearing in Elena's mind. How many times in grade school had she been told to never go somewhere with a stranger? Not only was this man a stranger, but he gave off a dangerous vibe. He was a "bad boy" and he was at least a couple of years older than her.

"Oh, that's alright. I can just have my aunt come pick me up."

"Please, Elena, it's the least I could do. I feel responsible for your friends ditching you."

Damon was putting his best effort into this act. He didn't want to have to compel her so early in the game, especially over something so petty. And at long last, he could finally see her giving in.

Of course Elena knew that Jenna would come get her if need be, but she would feel awful having to wake her up so late on her behalf. Damon seemed to sincerely want to take her home, if only to make sure she got home safely. Despite her internal feelings of fear and discomfort, she agreed to ride with him.

Damon had walked to the Grill, but his pale blue Camaro was hidden in the woods nearby, since he hadn't yet returned to his family's boarding house. He knew that he'd sound just slightly off if he told her he parked a couple miles away in the woods, so he was forced to compel her to wait right where she was until he returned.

Elena stared at all the glimmering bottles of various vodka, rum, and whiskey brands wondering what she was still doing there. She wanted to leave, or at least step away from the bar, but for some reason she couldn't get her body to physically move. Her fingers drummed on the counter, beginning to think that she made a mistake.

But when Damon returned, her feet finally moved and she practically ran to the door. "I see you missed me already," he said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her up against him. She subtly tried to place some distance between them, but found that she could make him move an inch.

"Allow me," Damon said, finally releasing her once they reached the car so he could open the door for her.

"Thanks," she murmured, crawling into the car.

The car ride was relatively quiet with a few getting-to-know-each-other questions tossed around. While there wasn't anything apparently wrong with Damon, Elena still felt hesitant to really open up to him. After all, she probably wouldn't see him again after he dropped her off. She didn't see this really going anywhere in the bigger picture.

He pulled along the curb in front of her house and they both sat there for a moment before Elena made the first move to leave. "I really appreciate the ride, Damon."

"Not a problem. Here, I'll walk you to the door."

He walked alongside her up to the porch. She bent down and pulled a spare key out from under a pot. Damon noticed that she didn't set it back down there, but rather slid it into her pocket once she unlocked the door. He knew that he needed to say or do something that would ensure his seeing her again.

"Elena," he breathed. "I don't know what it is about you, but I can't stand the thought of this being the end. What do you say we go out on a date sometime this week?"

She couldn't hide the surprised look from appearing on her face. "I…uh…would like to see you again, Damon, but I feel like I still don't know you well enough…"

"We can work on that." His hand moved downward, causing her to suck in a harsh breath. His fingers lingered just above the button on her jeans and moved slightly to the right, plucking her phone from her pocket. He clicked a few buttons and returned the phone. "There, now you have my number."

Elena found herself smiling at him. The possibility of there being a future for them both excited and terrified her. Who was she to stand in her own way? There was an incredibly attractive man on her front porch, with eyes only on her.

He leaned forward a little more to purge the space between. "I look forward to receiving your call, Elena," he said huskily. His lips brushed against her cheek briefly. He glanced up at her, searching for any sign of displeasure. Elena was numbed by the gesture. She stared at him with wide eyes and didn't stop him when his lips touched hers, sending a momentary volt of electricity through her flesh.

"I-I should probably get inside now…" she whispered. She grudgingly stepped away from him and opened the door, leaning against the frame.

Damon watched her intently. He needed to be invited in. He awaited the words, but much to his disappointment and frustration, they never came. "Good night, Damon."

"It has gotten late enough, I guess. I'll be seeing you soon, Elena." His smirk seemed to have hidden intentions, though Elena wasn't in the state of mind to notice. She stood at the door until his car's taillights were no longer in sight.

With a sigh, she closed the door and quietly climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She had more than enough to write about in her diary tonight.

* * *

><p>Damon drove back into the woods, though this time heading toward the abandoned Salvatore Boarding House. He had a bad tendency to grow impatient with whichever relative ran the place and usually killed them. Now there was no one left living to run the place, but that didn't bother him too much. He preferred the eerie solitude and privacy the mansion-like building offered.<p>

Though he was upset that Elena didn't invite him into her house, he knew it wouldn't be a difficult task. In fact, he planned on her belonging to him by the end of their next date. It was obvious that she was attracted to him, she just needed a small shove in the right direction to get the ball rolling.

A large cloud of dust filled the air as he opened the front door. Navigating his way in the darkness, he opened the large stainless steel refrigerator in the kitchen and marveled at the sustained supply of blood bags. It was getting too late to go out on a kill, so he would have to settle for what he had. He grabbed a couple of bags and walked up three floors to his bedroom on the west side of the building.

He bit into the plastic bag and ripped the top off. The cooled blood fell into his mouth like a thick, crimson waterfall. He gulped down the contents of the first bag and continued through a series of others, letting the blood splash all over the place, staining the sheets of his bed.

Once he had his fill, he laid down and stared up at the ceiling. His body was filled with such violent euphoria. He pondered what he wanted to do to Elena once he gained full control of her. How long should he keep her alive? How should he kill her?

Make her bleed to death…

Compel her to kill herself…

Suck her veins dry…

Or should he keep her as a long-term blood supplier? There were so many options, but one thing was certain.

Damon would not fall in love with her. The last time he fell in love, 150 years ago, it cost him his life. He wouldn't die for love again. Not even for the beautiful, innocent Elena Gilbert.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **This chapter felt a little slow to me, so I apologize if that's the case. The next chapter will be a bit more progressive as Damon schemes to get Elena to be more open to their relationship...so we'll see how he manages to pull that off and what may cause complications along the way.

Comments?

**THANK YOU: **citigirl13, Caro, Dez2sweet, LeRoiSoleil, Delena-Fan-for-life, adventurous, KnKCullen, QueenBee10, and UnlockTheKeyToMyHeart. I appreciate all your comments and hope you continue to enjoy the story :)


	3. Chapter 3

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 3: The Pursuit

* * *

><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer._

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes._

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

**Previously:**

_Damon would not fall in love with her. The last time he fell in love, 150 years ago, it cost him his life. He wouldn't die for love again. Not even for the beautiful, innocent Elena Gilbert._

* * *

><p>Elena closed her diary and carefully placed it on the inside of the picture frame hanging above her bed. For the first time in quite a while, she didn't feel a sense of relief or of purged emotion after scribbling down the day's events and her thoughts on the matter. What could that possibly mean?<p>

With a shrug she leaned over and turned off her lamp, engulfing the room in immediate darkness. She fell back onto the stack of pillows gracefully, staring up at the ceiling for a moment or two before feeling her eyelids droop.

A low, ominous creak filled the night air, sounding as if it were just outside her bedroom door. Her body ached with annoyance as she peeked out of one eye, only to find her room just as still and empty as she'd left it only minutes ago. She was ready to dismiss the sound as a fragment of her imagination, but then it sounded again, this time seeming even closer than the first one.

She held the blanket tightly up to her chest, sitting up slowly and squinting into the darkness. She could feel her heartbeat drastically increase as fear started to release its paralyzing spell. There had to be someone standing outside her door, she was sure of it. _It's probably just Jeremy_, she reasoned.

Her mind instantly disregarded that possibility. A voice as low as the footsteps outside whispered her name. "_E-len-ah_." He pronounced her name in a drawn out, exaggerated fashion. She almost thought she could hear a sense of amusement in his tone, yet it was sending chills down her spine. It was terrifying.

The voice possessed a degree of familiarity, though she couldn't place a name or face with it. In the thick darkness, she saw a glimmering second of icy blue eyes. And then she saw a pair of fangs.

* * *

><p>A gust of air escaped Elena's lungs as she awoke in a panic. She held a hand to her forehead and raked her fingers through her matted hair before finally starting to calm down. "It was just a dream," she breathed, thankfully.<p>

So apparently her mind turned irrational without informing her. _Vampires_? Is that the best her imagine could conjure? She would laugh despite herself, but found that she was still fairly startled. And what made matters worse was that those eyes, those cruel, blue eyes, they reminded her of someone she knew. They reminded her of Damon Salvatore.

* * *

><p>Damon could be patient when he so desired, but this situation presented an exception. He tried to do just about anything and everything after returning home from his evening with Elena. He didn't want to wait around for her to contemplate the pros and cons of the situation. He needed to speed the process up.<p>

Of course he could just as easily compel her to want to date him, but somehow that idea seemed to take away from the fun and excitement of it all. Besides, as confident as he felt this instant, he was willing to bet that he could get her to do his bidding without any assistance from his vampiric powers. He could be _very_ persuasive at times.

But certain parts of his plans did require a little supernatural help – namely when it came to using Elena's friends as his pawns. He had intended to find Caroline, since he'd already used her for his bidding previously, but instead found Bonnie in the high school's parking lot.

School was going to start shortly, limiting the amount of time he had to work with. With the help of Elena's friends, he was sure that she'd be calling him and asking for a date by third period.

Damon didn't believe that he had any boundaries to abide by, so he approached Bonnie confidently, instantly stepping too far into her comfort zone.

He successfully startled Bonnie, causing her to fall back against her car. He reached out and touched her arm in what he intended to be a comforting manner. "I'm sorry, Bonnie. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

She took deep breaths, letting his most attractive image seep into her vision. Bonnie prided herself on her calm demeanor and ability to think clearly. As such, it wasn't the fact that someone sneaked up on her, but rather she wasn't expecting to come face-to-face with someone like _him_. Those crystalline eyes seemed to fog her mind.

"I-I wasn't expecting to see you," she admitted.

"That's okay," Damon said in a soothing voice. "I just need you to do something for me." He leaned forward until he reached her ear, his lips gently pressed up against the cartilage. "Go find Elena and convince her to go on a date with me. Don't stop trying until she agrees."

Bonnie blinked a couple of times, staring at Damon blankly. After a couple seconds, she nodded and parted silently, walking toward the school. He didn't have any doubt that Caroline would agree with whatever Bonnie ended up saying, making this almost too easy.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Elena," he said darkly before speeding away.

* * *

><p>Elena stared at her reflection once more before reluctantly grabbing her messenger bag and leaving her room. For some reason, she didn't want to go anywhere today. She didn't know that dream had such an effect on her. Nothing even really happened; so she saw a pair of fangs. That shouldn't be that frightening. She was a sensible seventeen-year-old girl. She should be past these childish fantasies.<p>

Surely a full day of classes and social interaction would keep her mind occupied until she recovered from whatever effect the dream was having on her. She parked in one of the last open spots and rushed inside for the first class of the day – History. Thankfully, Alaric was the teacher of that class, so she was sure he'd be a little more forgiving.

Alaric gave her a subtle head nod as she entered the full classroom, keeping her head down as she walked along the aisles leading to the open seat between Matt and Bonnie. Both of them shot her a concerned expression, though Matt's appeared to be far more heartfelt than Bonnie's. Her look was out of instinct and was quickly forgotten as she thought of what Damon told her to do for him. She couldn't wait till this class was over.

Elena felt Matt's eyes burning into her, begging her to acknowledge him. Her resolve crumbled as she gave him a sidelong glance, hoping that the five second stare conveyed that she appreciated his concern and that she was okay. She'd broken up with him only two months ago, but it still hurt her to think about him sometimes, especially when he was so evidently willing to do anything to have her back.

At this point, she wasn't sure who was worse to be around – Matt or Damon. Matt really made her heart ache and allowed all the guilt of her actions to seep into her mind. Damon on the other hand evoked more fear and anxiety than anything. She felt like just resting her head on her textbook and drifting away from all this, but she couldn't. There was going to be a test on this material by the end of the week, and Elena never let romance issues prevent her from excelling.

* * *

><p>Damon had considered lurking on the outskirts of the school property, but boredom got the best of him. Not to mention he felt his throat constrict from the thirst. Obviously, he got a significant fill of blood last night, but his inner sadist just wasn't satisfied.<p>

While he preferred hunting at night, he knew all the right places to go for a daytime chase. Since the weather was far from pleasant, Damon decided to settle for the mall. It may seem risky to choose such a large and public place, but he figured there'd be at least a couple of students skipping school there. Students he'd have to punish.

As he entered the shopping center, he used his expert vision and hearing to find his targets of choice. It didn't take him long to figure out that there was a group leaving a Journey's and heading toward one of the back exits. _They're making this too easy for me_, Damon thought.

The back entrance was usually only meant for employees, but the group of delinquents got lucky upon finding the door unguarded. Damon followed closely behind, his predatory steps ever so silent and stealthy. He found it almost challenging to hold back his amused laughter. They had no idea that they were about to die. Their lives were in his hands. A rush of power and control surged within his dead veins. He couldn't wait any longer.

The teens gathered around one boy who had some pills and other goods in a Ziploc bag, ready to be distributed. "What are you waiting for, Jer? It's freezing out here," a tall, skinny brunette groaned.

"Alright, alright," he grinned, handing her the first couple of capsules. His eyes lit up when he looked at her, an expression reserved for only her. The sight was making Damon sick, although not nearly enough to deter his appetite.

The two boys closest to the back door jumped out of their skin when they heard it open and slam shut rather loudly. They turned around expecting to see a burly security guard, but were surprised to find some guy, only a few years older than them, looking at them.

"You scared the hell out of us man," one of them said.

"Relax, he's probably just looking for a hit," the girl said, staring at him with clouded eyes.

"Not exactly," Damon smirked darkly.

"Then what are you here for?"

"You." He lunged forward faster than their pre-sluggish minds could process. He grabbed the two boys closest to him by the necks, throwing one against the brick wall and biting swiftly and deeply into the other's neck. He locked a hand over the boy's jaw, keeping his mouth clamped shut as he tried to scream for help.

The other boy had recovered faster than Damon would've given him credit for and charged at him with a rusty screwdriver he found in the trash heap next to where he landed. Damon felt the life of his first victim end just as the screwdriver dug into his back. Since he'd consumed the maximum amount of blood from the boy, the attack felt like a fly landing on his shoulder.

He smiled maliciously as he spun around while simultaneously removing the screwdriver and slamming it into the boy's throat. Since he had attempted an attack, Damon decided he'd let this one die slowly. His body slumped to the ground, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing like a fish. His throat filled with blood, permitting him to make nothing more than a pathetic gurgling sound. He convulsed for a few moments longer before a couple of spasms spread through his dying body.

The girl – Vicki Donovan – had watched the scene in horror. Though she wanted to run, her body was too numb with fear to make a single movement. It wasn't until the second boy died that she was able to recover her voice. "What kind of sick freak are you?" she growled.

Damon glanced over his shoulder and looked surprised, as if he forgot that there was still two more blood donors left. "Why don't I give you a little demonstration?" he retorted, speeding over to her. He brushed some of her long hair out of the way and traced a throbbing vein along her neck. "I do tend to favor the taste of women over men," he murmured, watching her eyes, alit with fear. He shot her a seductive smirk before biting slowly into her neck.

He shoved her up against a dumpster and allowed his hands to trail her body. His weight was more than enough to keep her in place. She cringed as he slid a hand down her shirt. She looked over at Jeremy, watching the scene with disgust and trepidation. "Get out of here," she mouthed.

Jeremy remained standing there, wishing there was something he could do. How could he live with himself if he just left her here to die?

"GET OUT OF HERE, JEREMY!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The sudden outburst startled both Jeremy and Damon, though Jeremy acted on it much faster. He gave her one last look, silently saying goodbye, before taking off down the alleyway.

Damon rolled his eyes, realizing that he'd have to end this quickly to go after the runaway. He bit down hard, chewing into her flesh before discarding her body. But as he was going to take off, he heard a low groan. He looked at Vicki with amusement. "You're _still_ alive?" He glanced back down the alley in the direction that Jeremy took off running. "I think I might be able to use you for something more than just lunch."

* * *

><p>Bonnie followed Elena closely out of Alaric's classroom. They walked together to Elena's locker, where Elena paused, looking around her before giving Bonnie a serious look. "Can I ask you a…question?" she began.<p>

Bonnie was surprised, but agreed. "Of course."

"D-do you believe in vampires?"

"_Vampires_? Elena, I don't even believe in what Grams says about my family's 'witch' lineage. You're not saying that you believe in vampires, are you?"

She sighed heavily leaning against the lockers. "I don't think so. But, I had this really bad dream last night, where some vampire was about to attack me or something… It's really been freaking me out, and I'm not sure why."

Bonnie saw this as a perfect opportunity to begin her mission on Damon's behalf. "You know what probably would've helped prevent that?" Elena looked at her with hesitant curiosity. "If you had a man in your life."

Elena rolled her eyes and started walking away.

"Think about it, Elena! If you were with someone like Damon, you'd never have anything to be afraid of. No one would want to hurt you with him around."

"Did someone say 'Damon?'" Caroline asked cheerfully, tagging along with the duo.

"Will you guys give it a rest? I'm barely over Matt and you're trying to push me into the arms of a stranger!"

"A _hot_ stranger," Caroline grinned.

"A _strong_ stranger," Bonnie added.

Elena stopped in the middle of the hall, giving her two best friends strange looks, wondering what the hell has gotten into them since last night. "Look, I'll consider it, but I don't think that Damon is the answer to all my problems. I need to get going. I'll…see you guys tomorrow."

Once she was away from Bonnie and Caroline, Elena exhaled a breath and raked her fingers through her long, straight hair. It didn't seem right. Why were they so pro-Damon? Normally in a situation like this, Bonnie would advise to take things slow and get to know him before doing anything too deep. And Caroline would be trying to steal Damon's admiration. Neither one of them were acting like themselves.

Elena rarely walked home alone, especially during the colder months, but she didn't really feel like going back inside and asking Bonnie for a ride. Things were just too strange at the moment. She tugged her jacket closer to her chest and braved the harsh air.

As she walked along the sidewalk, Elena hardly paid attention to the passing traffic. But after a couple of blocks, she felt the eerie feeling of being watched, _stalked_. She glanced cautiously over her shoulder and nearly shrieked when she saw Damon's car rolling to a stop next to her.

The window rolled down, revealing none other than the last person Elena wanted to see. How could one person turn her life so upside down like this? Still, she couldn't really take her frustrations out on him. He hadn't done anything _wrong_.

"Hey," she greeted lightly.

"May I ask why you're walking alone in this weather?"

She shrugged. "I just wanted some alone time I guess…a chance to clear my mind."

He instantly looked concerned. "What's bothering you?"

Elena bit her lower lip, stealing glances at the sidewalk in front of her. "It's stupid, really."

"Not if it's causing you this much trouble. Here, why don't you let me drive you home and you can tell me a little about it on the way?"

Bonnie's words resonated in her mind. _"If you were with someone like Damon, you'd never have anything to be afraid of…" _

He did seem to hold a genuine interest in her predicament, and the chill was starting to bite through her jacket. She finally agreed to accept his offer, stepping off the sidewalk and into his car, feeling a welcomed blast of heat meet her face.

"So, why don't you tell me what's on your mind?"

Elena had only a slight difficulty in bringing up vampires to Bonnie, mostly because she had nothing to risk. She wouldn't be embarrassed because Bonnie was her best friend. She found it to be a completely different story with Damon. She feared he'd laugh at her if she mentioned that silly word. That meant she'd have to keep her details vague.

"Well, I just had a really bad dream last night. I don't even know why it's got me so bothered. Nothing even really happened in it…it was just startling at first."

"They're called nightmares for a reason. It's okay to be afraid after waking up."

"It felt so real…maybe that's what's so terrifying about it. I felt like I was really going to die."

Damon glanced at her briefly, wearing a silent, wicked smirk. He was pleased to see this effect on her. After all, he was the one who planted the dream in her mind, perched outside her window, watching her toss and turn in torment.

"Maybe you just need to relax, Elena. You did seem pretty tense last night. If there's anything I can do to help with that, just let me know."

_You can leave Mystic Falls for a while_, Elena thought exasperatedly. _All of this started because I don't know how to respond to your…advances. _But she didn't tell him that.

Elena was relived to see her street coming into view. "Thanks for the ride," she said, a bit prematurely. "I probably would've gotten sick if I walked all the way back."

"Anything for you, _E-len-ah_."

Elena's heartbeat doubled its pace. That sounded like the voice from her dream.

Damon was parked in her driveway, staring at her intently. "Is something wrong?"

_Of course he wouldn't know why I'm flustered. I didn't tell him anything about the dream. It must be my mind playing tricks on me_, she thought.

As she was getting out of the car, she realized that he had given her a ride twice now when she really needed it, and all she offered him was a polite "thank you." She looked up at the house and figured that Jenna would probably be getting dinner ready right about now. After taking a breath to calm her heart and dismiss terrified thoughts, she leaned back into the car.

"Would you like to stay for dinner? I feel like it's the least I could do…"

Damon, of course, accepted the offer and finished with a polite smile. It was taking his greatest willpower to bite back a sinister smile. She finally invited him in.

* * *

><p>Jeremy had every intention of running, and at first, that's exactly what he did. But the thought of him leaving Vicki to die evoked a fierce guilt. He caught his breath as he rounded a corner, taking a moment before peaking over the side. That sick freak was <em>using<em> her before he killed her. His fingers balled tightly into enraged fists, his fingernails digging into his own flesh.

But then something strange happened. The psycho left her for dead, as he had all the others, and started to leave, but then stopped mid-step, turning back around to look at Vicki. She…she was still alive, after all that blood loss. She was barely conscious now, but Jeremy could hear her groan softly in response. Damon reached down and picked her up, carrying her away.

_What else could he possibly do to her?_ Jeremy thought with growing disgust.

He stood in position, still shocked both that the man hadn't chased after him and that Vicki survived his brutal assault. Only one good thing came from this horrible ending – Vicki was still alive, which meant she could still be saved.

Jeremy ran from the scene, running nonstop all the way home. He knew that someone would fine the bodies soon enough, and he didn't want to be around when they did. No one would believe him anyway. Hell, he wasn't even sure he believed what he saw – a 20-something-year-old attacking a bunch of druggies ditching high school, but with inhuman strength and speed and by ripping into people's throats with his teeth.

No, it would be best to pretend this never happened.

And so he did. Naturally, Jenna was surprised to see him home before 3 p.m. He stumbled over an excuse, saying that there may be a storm coming in and the school saw it fit to send the students home early, just in case. Elena would be riding home with Bonnie, etc, etc.

It was challenging to keep himself so calm around her, but he was pretty sure he pulled it off. He was halfway up the stairs when he heard Jenna calling his name again. "Hey, dinner will be around five tonight. It's going to be kind of…a family thing. Alaric's coming over."

"Sounds good," Jeremy said with false enthusiasm, flashing a cheap smile and a thumb's up over his shoulder.

* * *

><p>Elena led Damon up the steps to the front porch and opened the door, grateful to feel the warmth her house supplied. She heard pots and pans clanging in the kitchen, confirming her suspicions that her aunt would be <em>attempting<em> to cook dinner. To be fair, Jenna had come along a long way since she took over the Gilbert household, and Elena was proud.

"Hey Jenna," she greeted, feeling Damon following closely behind her.

Jenna glanced up from the cutting board, then did a rather obvious double take, not expecting company. "Elena, you brought a guest?"

"This is Damon."

Damon stepped around Elena and approached Jenna, taking her hand in his and kissing her knuckles. She blushed on contact, fueling Damon's ego. "Nice to meet you. How did you two meet?"

It was a reasonable question. Damon was clearly older than Elena, so Jenna doubted they meet at the high school.

"We met at the Grill last night," Damon supplied. Elena had considered being a bit more discrete and perhaps changing the date of meeting, but it was too late now. Jenna looked surprised for a moment, but quickly concealed it.

"Guess you two got along pretty well then," she laughed. Elena didn't detect any signs of disproval, so she let her guard down slightly.

"You can say that," Damon responded, shooting her a smug smile. "Do you need help making anything? My Italian roots kind of demand that I be a moderately good chef."

"If I accept help now, I'll never learn," Jenna replied with what almost looked like a flirty smile. This was almost becoming too awkward for Elena to watch. She was glad they were getting along, but wasn't Damon trying to get in her pants just last night?

Damon held his hands up in defense and returned to Elena's side. "I can respect that. In that case, Elena," he said, turning to face her, "do you want to go upstairs until dinner's ready?"

"Hey you two," Jenna said, pointing an unchopped carrot at them, "keep the door open."

Elena should've felt embarrassed by her aunt's request for modesty around a guy like Damon, but she actually felt relieved. "Don't worry, we won't be doing anything like _that_," she said firmly.

She turned on her heel quickly and bolted for the stairs, unable to see the slightly angered look on Damon's face. He didn't like how serious she sounded when she said that. She didn't even realize that in all technicality he could make her do whatever he wanted. Maybe he should.

Damon followed her closely up the stairs, hoping that at the very least he could make her feel somewhat uncomfortable. And it's not like he wasn't enjoying the view himself. Once they were up the stairs, he stepped past her and allowed himself into her room, jumping onto the bed and crossing his legs comfortably. Elena tried to maintain those feelings of distrust and – dare she admit to it – jealousy, but they seemed to be dissipating right before her eyes. She let a small chuckle escape her lips as she shook her head and tore one of her stuffed animals from Damon's hands.

"I don't think I should be letting strange men get so comfortable on my bed," she teased.

Damon propped himself up, giving her a flirtatious grin. "Are you saying I'm strange?"

"In every way."

Neither one of them really knew where this mutually flirty tone was coming from, yet at the same time, neither one of them was willing to stop it.

"You know Elena, if you actually tried to get to know me better, you probably wouldn't feel that way."

"Okay," she accepted. "What brings you to Mystic Falls? You couldn't have been here long. Caroline would've seen you already."

They each laughed, for their own respective reasons of knowing that to be true. Damon stared at her intently for a moment, contemplating his answer. While Mystic Falls was his home, he knew that that wasn't the reason for his return. Hadn't this place been just like all the other small towns – just a place to stop for food?

"I have relatives that moved here recently. Our family owns a boarding house and we're trying to figure out what to do with it."

"So…you won't be here for long?" Elena asked, instantaneously despising herself after hearing the saddened tone, weighing down the simple question.

Damon was amused by her interest in the duration of his stay. Could it be that she was _finally _coming to her senses?

Damon eventually settled on the perfect answer and was about to deliver it, but was interrupted by a knocking on the other side of the bathroom door. "Come in," Elena said.

* * *

><p>Jeremy walked into his sister's room, hardly even paying attention to the fact that she had someone else over. His downward glance landed on Elena and he felt as if his heart had stopped beating. There he was…there was the psychopath that had mere hours ago killed two of his friends and kidnapped Vicki. There he was, sitting on his sister's bed.<p>

"Elena, you need to –." His warning came up short once he noticed the severely threatening look in Damon's eyes. Something told Jeremy that this man wouldn't hesitate to kill him, even in front of Elena.

Elena was concerned with Jeremy's behavior – not to mention the way he was looking at Damon. "What's wrong, Jeremy?"

Jeremy glared at Damon just a little longer before facing his sister and making up some lame excuse for barging into her room like that. He couldn't bear to be in the same room as that monster; so, he excused himself and retreated to his own room, instantly plotting ways to get a message across to Elena. He couldn't just leave her alone with him.

* * *

><p>Elena's eyes remained attached to the door where Jeremy had just been. Something was off with him, and that was becoming top priority in her mind. For a moment, she almost completely forgot that Damon was there. He, for the first time since meeting, didn't seem that care that Elena's attention was elsewhere. All <em>he<em> could think about was how to get out of this room and into his room, alone.

"Anyway, Elena, I think I left my phone in the car. I'm going to run down and get it," he said lightly. As he was making his way toward the door, he considered the fact that she may try to confront her brother or go downstairs and find out from Jenna that he never left the house. He turned around and said, "Don't leave this room."

The dazed look on her face confirmed his compulsion. This wasn't taking away from his fun with her; rather, it would be adding to it, once this pest was out of Damon's way.

He boldly opened the door to Jeremy's bedroom, stepped inside, and locked the door behind him. The teenager was on his computer, headphones blasting music. He jumped nearly ten feet out of his chair once he saw Damon just standing there, watching him.

"Hey there, Jeremy," he said with false friendliness. "Let's have a little chat."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **what will damon do to jeremy? will elena realize that something isn't quite right? how will the dinner go, with the physical tension between jeremy and damon, and the sexual tension between elena and damon? find out in the next chapter ;)

Comments?

**THANK YOU: **my 2 guys, LiveBreatheVampires, neylujulyen, 2lazee2login, solenn, Dez2sweet, Caro, Nicole Lovely, and TheVampQueen24. I wrote this chapter especially long, so hope it worth yours and everyone's wait for the update


	4. Chapter 4

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 4: The Threat

* * *

><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer._

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes._

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

**Previously:**

_"Hey there, Jeremy," he said with false friendliness. "Let's have a little chat."_

* * *

><p>Sheriff Forbes stared at the clock on the wall with burning anxiety. Just <em>five<em> more minutes before her shift ended and she could go home. She didn't mind the job, in fact she loved every bit of it, except for the effect it was having on her relationship with Caroline. After her husband divorced her, Liz had to put in extra hours at the station to maintain the lifestyle they had grown accustomed to.

The shrill ring of a telephone startled her out of her thoughts. _Please don't be anything important…or that can't be handled in sixty seconds_, she mentally begged. With a hesitant hand, she reached for the phone and answered.

"What is it?"

"We've got a hysterical girl on the line. I think you should hear what she has to say," a deputy explained before transferring the call.

"H-hello?" the girl asked. The sheriff immediately recognized the voice.

"Vicki, what's going on? What happened?"

"I-I don't know where I am. Some…man attacked my friends and me behind the mall a couple hours ago. He must've kidnapped me or something…he just…ripped them all apart…"

Liz nearly dropped the phone. This sounded like it could be the vampire the council's been searching for. "Okay, Vicki, I need you to calm down and breathe. You're going to be okay now, I'm going to send an officer to come get you."

"How? I have no idea where I am…it's so…dark."

Liz motioned for a passing officer to come into her office and begin tracing the call. "We're going to use your phone's signal to locate you. While we're waiting, can you tell me anything about the man who did this to you?"

There was a moment of silence as Vicki racked her mind to try and describe him. But for some reason, she was drawing a blank. How could she forget what he looked like? She felt like she remembered everything so clearly – the blood, the screams, the look in Jeremy's eyes when she told him to run. "I…I can't remember what he looked like for some reason. But Jeremy Gilbert was there, too. He managed to escape."

"Jeremy Gilbert?" she confirmed. The officer returned to her office with a disappointed look on his face. "Stay on the line, Vicki."

She placed a hand over the receiver and turned to the officer. "Well?"

"There was no definite _location_ attached to her whereabouts. It looks like she's just somewhere in the middle of the woods."

"That's strange. She's obviously being held somewhere…"

"Jenkins and I will go out to the general area that came up on the map and survey the area."

She nodded. "Good. I guess then I'll take a couple deputies with me to the scene and then go talk to Jeremy Gilbert…apparently he escaped."

"Vicki, are you still there?"

"Yes."

"We're on our way."

Liz grabbed her jacket and keys and headed out to the patrol car, knowing that this was going to be anything but a short night. But somehow she wasn't as upset as she thought she'd be. If there was anything she cared about more than her daughter, it would have to be protecting this town from vampires.

* * *

><p>Jeremy scooted his chair further away from Damon, thinking that being just a couple of inches away would somehow keep him safe. Regardless, at the very least it seemed to give him a large boost in confidence.<p>

"What are you doing here, with my _sister_?" he demanded.

Damon took a couple steps further into the room, surveying the space. "This just happens to be a hilarious coincidence, in my opinion."

"What do you mean?" Jeremy believed that Damon was following him since he was 'the one who got away.' He must've run into Elena before he found him. Why else would he be in Elena's room?

"I met Elena last night at the Grill and was invited over for dinner today. Imagine my surprise when I see _you_ of all people walk into her room."

"Elena wouldn't…she's not going to fall for you."

"Oh, I think you'll find that I can be very, very convincing. And I bet I can get her to agree to a formal date by the time dessert is served."

"Not when I tell her that you're a murderer."

Damon's frustration level was met and his playful enjoyment of the situation vanished. He sped over to Jeremy, who was completely caught off guard. His rebellious demeanor transformed into a horrified expression.

"I'm not a murderer, I'm a vampire. If you're going to tattle on me, you should at least be politically correct."

Jeremy's widened eyes glanced repeatedly at the bathroom door, which led to Elena's room. There was just enough clearance that he could make a quick dash. Without returning his attention to Damon, he made his move, sprawling recklessly to the left and screamed Elena's name.

Damon caught on quickly and wrapped his hand around Jeremy's mouth, using the grip to slam him into the wall. Though as quick as he might have been, it wasn't fast enough to prevent Elena from hearing.

"Let me tell you a little secret, Jeremy," he said menacingly. "I have Vicki locked up nice and safe in an underground tomb. If you do anything stupid again, I'll come back in the middle of the night, drag you out of bed, and make you watch while I kill her."

Damon could tell that his threat was heard loud and clear, as Jeremy's heartbeat tripled beyond its already frantic pace. He backed away from Jeremy slowly, waiting to see how he'd respond to Elena.

"Never mind. Everything's fine," he shouted, glaring at the back of Damon's head, watching as he strolled out of the room, with a bouncing rhythm in his step. Damon may be betting that he'll get a date with Elena, but Jeremy was willing to bet that he'd expose him before then. In fact, he planned on it.

* * *

><p>Mall cops stood in front of the back entrance with grim, unmoving expressions. They were given strict instructions to keep the gruesome scene from the public eye, mostly to avoid all the negative publicity the discovery would surely bring.<p>

Liz greeted the cops with a stern nod and followed them out the back door. There were two mangled bodies, strewn in opposite sides of the alley. But the blood was everywhere. Liz knew instantaneously that this was the work of a vampire. If anything, the gaping holes in the victims' necks said it all, would say it all to anyone. That's the other reason why this needed to stay under wraps.

It's so much easier to say it was an animal attack when the victims weren't seen. Anyone could tell that, especially in this public area, no animal would be capable of doing something like this. Though, few sensible people would credit a _person_ for such a heinous act either.

"You know the drill. Get rid of the bodies," she commanded. "They've already been here too long."

Normally, she would've stayed around or even helped handle the paperwork. But time wasn't working in her favor tonight. She needed to go speak to Jeremy Gilbert and find out what he saw. She just hoped that the vampire hadn't already gotten to him.

* * *

><p>Elena couldn't sit still, not even for the slightest second since Damon left her room. Something didn't feel right. She was deeply concerned about Jeremy, but at the same time, she figured that he would come to her when he felt ready to talk, as it has always been between them. Nevertheless, she continued pacing the length of her room, trying to keep her mind and body occupied. Though Damon was by far the last thing she wanted to think about, her mind kept drifting back to him, continuously tempting her to give him just a little more consideration, to be a little more flirty with him, to let her walls down just a little.<p>

_He could be the best thing that walked into my life_, she considered.

…_He could also be the worst. _

And that was when she started arguing with herself. After all, how could someone that attractive be dangerous? Weren't most killers deranged and repulsive? Neither of those words came close to describing Damon, but still…why did she feel so hesitant?

"I can't do this," she groaned, walking toward the door. Perhaps spending time with Jenna will help clear her mind while Damon was doing God knows what in his car.

She froze halfway across the room when she heard Jeremy shout her name. Normally she wouldn't have stopped with such urgency, but his voice sounded so strained. Elena instantly became concerned as she took a couple steps backward and reached for the door to the bathroom.

"Jer…what's wrong?" she asked, tugging on the doorknob. It turned each time she twisted it, but for some reason the actual door wouldn't open.

_What the hell is wrong with this door?_

It was almost as if something was keeping her locked inside the room. She ran for the other door and found that it was doing the exact same thing. This didn't make any sense…

"Never mind. Everything's fine," Jeremy replied.

Even still, she wasn't at ease. She'd lived in this house her whole life and never had a problem with the doors. She put all her strength into tugging on the doorknob, not caring if it came flying out in response.

All the sudden, she flew backwards, hitting the floor hard. Damon came walking in looking smug as ever – until he noticed Elena sprawled on the floor.

"Whoa, Elena. I was only gone for five minutes. What did I miss…?"

"The…the door wouldn't open. I was trying to pull it open and I fell when you came in." Elena mentally cursed herself, realizing how stupid she sounded, and felt her cheeks burn red.

"That's a little weird, not gonna lie," Damon laughed. He bent down and helped Elena to her feet. "I think your aunt said that dinner was ready. So let's go downstairs."

Elena walked slowly behind him, fearing that the door would prevent her from leaving, but thankfully she passed through without a problem. If this was the kind of effect that Damon had on her, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be around him too much longer. She felt absolutely crazy.

* * *

><p>"Where are the wine glasses?" Alaric asked, scanning the kitchen cabinets.<p>

Jenna watched him for a moment with amusement before pointing out the proper cabinet. "Shouldn't we be waiting till later for this? There will be two teenagers and a guest joining us tonight."

"A guest?"

"Yep. Elena met some guy last night…apparently they hit it off to a good start."

"Are you sure you can trust the guy?"

She shrugged. "He seemed nice. Very polite."

She grabbed some hot dog buns and put one on each place while Alaric spooned out the cheesy potatoes and veggies, abandoning his wine-pouring endeavor. Jenna knew it wasn't the most gourmet meal, but hey at least nothing caught on fire…like the first time she tried to make Ramen noodles.

Damon and Elena got downstairs just as the plates were placed on the table. "Perfect timing," Jenna said, smiling. Alaric, on the other hand, looked far from thrilled. He couldn't take his eyes off Damon for some reason, feeling as though he'd seen him from somewhere before.

He extended his hand in Damon's direction. "Alaric," he provided.

Damon caught on quickly and responded with his introduction. "This looks…delicious," he said with a wolfish grin, focusing on Elena when he finished the statement.

She felt a blush creep across her face yet again, though managed to distract herself when she saw Jeremy enter the kitchen. She weaved her way around Damon and confronted Jeremy. "What did you need earlier? It sounded pretty important."

Jeremy caught a dark, warning glare coming from Damon. He considered trying to speak in some sort of code, but figured that he would need more time to come up with a way to say something that only Elena could understand.

He scoffed. "Oh, it was nothing. I was just going to ask something about my Econ homework, but I figured it out."

Elena didn't seem to be so sold, noting that his tone of voice wasn't as laid back as it should've been. She was going to push for a little more information, but Damon came up behind her, placing a hand on each of her shoulders and said, "The food's over here. I'm starving."

"Help yourself, then," Elena replied, turning to focus on Jeremy again, but he'd already made his way to the table, almost as if he knew she was trying to pry. With an aggravated sigh, she followed their example and sat down between Jenna and Damon.

Alaric, still strongly holding onto his suspicion, decided that he'd use dinnertime to drill questions. "So, Damon, what brings you to Mystic Falls? I'm actually new to town myself."

"Family business, mostly. We have some property I need to deal with. What brought you here, Ric…do you mind if I call you Ric?"

"I'm the new history teacher at the high school. So, Jenna tells me you guys met just last night?"

"Caroline insisted we have a girl's night and I ended up meeting Damon at the grill. We're just friends," she said pointedly.

"But that can always change," Damon added, with a smirk. Elena shot him a sidelong glance and he decided to take a slow, exaggerated bite out of his hot dog, purposely for her.

Jeremy watched Damon bitterly, hardly able to even taste any of what he was eating. His mind was far too busy trying to find a way to outsmart him…a way to rescue Vicki… And even though he saw a small display of Damon's inhuman abilities, he still had no idea of what he was truly up against.

"Is something wrong, Jeremy?" Damon asked in a practiced voice, filled with concern.

Everyone's heads turned toward him, noting how tightly he was gripping his fork. Jeremy shot Damon a dirty look before brushing off the unwanted attention and mumbling some sort of acceptable excuse about not being too hungry.

"Such a shame," Damon sighed. "The food is amazing."

Jenna appreciated the compliment and gave him a flirty smile. Alaric just rolled his eyes.

Damon felt the familiar rush and exhilaration of being in total control of a situation. All he needed to do now was get Elena to agree to a date – away from the safety of home.

The dinner finished up shortly after. Jeremy escaped into the living room and submerged himself in Call of Duty, filling the lower level of the house with the sounds of shouting and gunfire.

Damon suggested that he and Elena go upstairs for something more relaxing, such as a movie or something, anything that would involve him being alone with her. But just as they were getting comfortable on Elena's bed, having decided to watch Rango, Damon heard a knock at the door.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Liz," Jenna greeted cheerfully.<p>

"Can I speak to Jeremy? It's a serious matter."

"S-sure."

There was a pause as Jenna went to pry Jeremy away from his game. "Sheriff," Jeremy said enthusiastically.

"I get the feeling you know why I'm here."

"It's about Vicki…and the others…"

"Did you see who attacked them?"

Damon felt his skin boil as rage overcame him. Once again he compelled Elena to stay in her room and added that she watch the movie at maximum volume while he stepped out for a moment. He sped out of the house through one of the back windows and over to the street around the corner.

There was a car parked at the stop sign, about to turn on Elena's street. Damon punched through the driver's window and began compelling. "You're going to speed around the corner and crash into the nearest object. If that doesn't kill you, then keep driving until it does. Try to go for something epic – lots of fire or blood."

He stood back and watched as the compelled driver did as he was told. The car crashed just in front of the Gilbert residence, into a string of cars parked across the street. Once Damon was certain that it created the diversion he desired, he returned to the house to deal with Jeremy.

As predicted, the sheriff and her backup had to tend to the accident, since it was more of a pressing issue in that particular moment. Jeremy was going to follow and help out, but Damon arrived just in time to pull him roughly back inside. He wrapped an arm around him, lightly choking him. "Now, I know you weren't just about to tell the sheriff anything about me, were you?"

Jeremy made a strangulated noise in response, which sounded more like a yes than a no to Damon's ears. "If you tried to say anything, you and the sheriff would be dead like _that_." He snapped his fingers, just to make his point.

Then an idea struck his subconscious. He spun Jeremy around and looked into his eyes. "You're going to forget who I am and what I've done until I say otherwise."

Jeremy repeated the command in a monotone drone and then came back to his own consciousness, looking startled at the sight of the enflamed car. He ran out to help as Damon returned upstairs to seal the deal with Elena.

* * *

><p>Elena was watching the movie, snuggled beneath a layer of blankets, blissfully unaware of the tragedy occurring right outside her window. When Damon finally returned, she sprang up into a sitting position, refusing to lay on the bed with him. "Everything okay?" she asked, confused as to why he left in the first place.<p>

"Perfect," he grinned, walking slowly over to her bed, before crawling on, the whole time having his icy eyes locked on her. "But I want to ask you something, Elena."

Surprised by the request, she paused the movie and adjusted herself so that she could face him better. "What is it?"

"After spending some time with me, do you still think I'm such a _bad_ guy?"

"I…I don't think you're a 'bad' guy. You're still a bit of a stranger and…I guess I'm just not comfortable enough around you," she explained.

"Well there's only one way for me to become less of a stranger."

She bit her lower lip and discarded her stare. Something inside of her did want to know more about him. And he was right. There was no way for her to ever trust him more if she never got to really know him.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to hang out more…"

"Then consider it a date. I'll pick you up, say tomorrow at 7?"

"I never said it was a d–."

"Sounds good. Until then," he said softly, grabbing her hand and bringing to his lips. "Good night, Elena." He shot her a smirk over his shoulder as he escorted himself to the door, leaving her behind as confused as ever.

* * *

><p>Damon didn't want to leave so soon. But his increased blood intake placed more of an annoying demand and dependency on feeding that he was still becoming accustomed to, even after all these years. He could smell the blood from across the street and it was driving him crazy.<p>

Of course he could've always used Elena as a supply, but in this state, this murderous state, he didn't want to unintentionally kill her before the fun started.

On his way out, he picked up something on the radio in the patrol car. Something that was just enough to revert him back to his bad mood. Some officers had located his hiding spot for Vicki. Well, at least he knew where he'd be dinning tonight.

He drove out of Elena's neighborhood slowly and then tore down the dirt woods that led to his hiding spot of preference – the graveyard. He spotted the patrol car easily and left his own car hidden behind some shrubbery, knowing that it'd be more efficient for him to speed over to the location than drive.

"Miss, I know that this has been a traumatic experience, but we have to ask you a couple questions," an officer insisted as he helped Vicki out of the tomb.

She nodded her head in response and tugged the blanket closer together. Damon took this time to make his presence known. "I wouldn't bother asking her anything. She won't remember. On the other hand, I have all the answers you're looking for."

The second officer spun around and held his gun out boldly. "And just who the hell are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he sneered, grinning just enough to expose his fangs. The officer's eyes widened as he struggled to turn the safety off of his gun and use it to defend himself.

Damon lunged forward and pinned him to the ground. He laughed lowly, filled with amusement, as he watched the cop try to reach for his walkie-talkie. The cop struggled beneath him, putting forth more and more of a struggle. He managed to grab a rock and slammed into Damon's face, snapping his head sharply to the left

"And now you're dead," Damon growled, wrapping a hand around the man's neck as he watched the damage disappear from Damon's face. He waited until the healing process was complete before sinking his teeth into his flesh. The man's strangled screams alerted the attention of his fellow officer, who had been trying to keep his cool around the terrified Vicki Donovan, but instantly lost it once he watched his partner die.

"We need to get out of here," he whispered, scrambling to his feet and helping Vicki follow closely behind.

But they didn't stand a chance. Not against Damon. He beat them to the patrol car and snagged a pair of handcuffs right off the officer's belt. "I'm very disappointed in you," he said, glaring at Vicki as he cuffed her. Was it really asking too much to expect her to just sit still for a couple hours? Honestly.

"And you," he said, focusing on the officer, "I think you need to pay a visit to your friend." He dragged the officer over to the bloody remains of his partner.

"Oh, God," the officer groaned, turning away from the scene. By any means, he was still considered a rookie and had yet to really stumble across any sort of gruesome scene. Damon kicked him down to the ground, just inches away from the other one.

"Hope you don't mind if I make this quick. I've had a _long_ night." Of course Damon didn't intend to allow the man to answer. He ripped into his throat, successfully severing some arteries, veins, and his vocal cords, resulting in a musical sound, just enough to take off Damon's edge.

* * *

><p>Alaric left the Gilbert household shortly after the chaos outside settled. He thanked Jenna for the meal and began driving home, though there was something in the back of his mind that refused to let him rest. <em>Why does that Damon guy seem so familiar? I doubt I've ever seen him before…<em>

The more he thought about it, the more it drove him crazy, like an itch that couldn't be reached. His grip on the steering wheel gradually tightened as he drove down the winding roads. As he got more and more lost in his thoughts, he began swerving more across the road. Just as a truck tore around a winding corner and drove toward him, the lights burned through his retinas.

And as he lingered there in that blindness, he saw Damon's face, or at least what resembled it. The face belonged to the monster that killed his wife. The face of the monster was…Damon Salvatore.

* * *

><p><strong>THANK YOU: <strong>Caro, tvdtwilight101, Dez2sweet, aj81writing, 2lazee2login, 1010, katerina, Nicole Lovely, and LiveBreatheVampires. Loved your comments as always!

So I wrote the last couple parts during a very boring journalism class...sorry if they seemed rushed, I was trying to multi-task lol

the next chapter will be heavily delena...this one was used mostly for suspense and to show that other people see that Damon is a killer and need to figure out how to tell Elena about it

and as for Stefan and Katherine...I think I'll introduce them soon, just not sure how I want to bring them in. Feel free to give suggestions :)


	5. Chapter 5

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 5: The Date

* * *

><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer._

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes._

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

**Previously:**

_And as he lingered there in that blindness, he saw Damon's face, or at least what resembled it. The face belonged to the monster that killed his wife. The face of the monster was…Damon Salvatore._

* * *

>Alaric swerved to the right and drove off into the shoulder. His breaths were ragged as he leaned back against the seat, running his fingers through his hair. How could he have not realized it sooner? Damon was the vampire he had seen in his house, sucking the life out of his beloved wife, Isobel.<p><p>

As soon as he composed himself, another wave of terror spread through his body. Based on the conversation he could remember from earlier, Damon was trying to get Elena to go on a date with him. Although Alaric has only known the Gilberts for a couple months, he still felt some urge fatherly protection toward them.

He had to make sure Elena won't go anywhere near Damon again. Digging into his back pocket, Alaric retrieved his cell phone and dialed the Gilbert's home phone number. No one answered.

"C'mon, pick up the phone," he groaned, hearing the beep of an answering machine. "Hey, it's Alaric. Look, I know this might sound weird, but Jenna…Elena…Jeremy, you all need to stay away from that Damon guy. I can't explain right now, but please just listen to me. He's dangerous."

Feeling helpless, Alaric tossed the phone to the side and got back onto the road. All he could do now was hope that he could get back to them tomorrow morning before Damon could.

* * *

><p>Elena dreaded going to school the next morning. A part of her believed it was because she wanted to fast-forward to her date with Damon, while another part wished she could put the date off for as long as possible. She could only imagine how Bonnie and Caroline are going to react.<p>

Since Jenna didn't have any thesis work to do today, she let Elena and Jeremy take her Ford Escape to school. "Is Jeremy up yet?" Jenna asked, chomping into a piece of toast.

Elena shrugged. "Guess I'll go find out." She left her messenger bag in the kitchen and walked back upstairs. She knocked on her brother's door a couple times, but didn't receive a response. She groaned lowly and barged in, surprised to see Jeremy sitting at his desk, engrossed in something on his computer screen.

Curious, Elena crept up behind him and peered over his shoulder. He was watching some sort of newscast. Although Elena couldn't hear what the reporter was saying, she was able to read the headline at the bottom of the screen: Animal kills local teens and police.

The grave look on Jeremy's face prompted Elena to confront him. "Jer, Jenna said we could take her car to school today. We should get going," she said softly.

Jeremy sighed, tugging off his headphones and closing the lid on his laptop. "Yeah, I know…I just can't stop watching the news." He paused for a moment, just staring out into space with glassy eyes before he looked up at Elena. "I was _there_ when they were killed, but when I try to think about what happened, I can hardly remember anything. All I know is that Vicki's body was missing…"

"Oh my God," she breathed. Elena could hardly believe what she was hearing. Was she really so consumed with her thoughts regarding Damon that she didn't even realize that Jeremy had experienced this awful ordeal? She suddenly felt riddled with guilt. "Have you tried talking to the sheriff? Maybe she knows more."

"I guess that might be worth a shot," he shrugged.

"I can even take you to the police station after school if you want," Elena offered, giving him a small smile before turning to leave the room. "I'll go warm up the car."

* * *

><p>Under normal circumstances, Damon rarely slept. The raw excitement and liveliness he felt when thinking about his date with Elena could also prevent him from sleeping. The taste of blood from all those policemen was still fresh on his taste buds and was influencing his thought process. All he could think about was Elena. And her blood.<p>

With an impatient groan, Damon stalked down the stairs and headed toward the door. He needed to keep his mind occupied. His feet led him to the Grill, where he would have to endure a cup or two of tasteless black coffee and maybe sample a waitress or two. He smirked to himself as he slid into a booth and surveyed the restaurant. His eyes narrowed when he found a familiar face sitting at the bar.

"It's a little early to be slipping liquor into your coffee, isn't it, Ric?"

Alaric felt his blood run cold as he heard that _monster_ so casually approach him. He squeezed the spoon in his hand, hoping it'd be enough to prevent him from creating a scene. "Yeah," he muttered. "Guess it's just one of those days."

Of course Damon noticed Alaric's chilly demeanor, which was a sharp contrast to how he was acting – or trying to act – last night. Damon's curiosity peaked as he began to wonder what could've happened in such a short time to change the man.

While Damon scratched his brain to figure things out, Alaric felt like he was just about ready to jump out of his skin. It was already 7:30 a.m., and his first class started in an hour. Elena would be in that class. He needed to be there to warn her about the very person sitting next to him. _Was it just a coincidence that he noticed me here? Or is he on to me? _Alaric thought. But instead of continuing his mental breakdown, Alaric felt a spark of confidence. It didn't matter why Damon was here now. All that mattered was that this could be Alaric's chance to kill Damon before he could kill anyone else.

"Was it one of those nights, too?" Damon asked, smirking as he sipped his coffee.

"I'm sorry?" Alaric had barely heard what Damon said, too lost in his own plotting.

Damon patted Alaric on the back. "Don't worry, we've all been there before."

Alaric simply offered a blatantly false smile in response. He felt like he was sitting on pointy, rusty nails just trying to carry a conversation with Damon. Something needed to be done, and quick. Maybe if he left, Damon would leave too…

"Well it was nice seeing you again…?"  
>"Damon."<p>

"Right, Damon. I should probably get going."

Alaric felt Damon's hawk-like stare burning into his back as he made his way through the Grill. _C'mon,_ Alaric's subconscious taunted. _Come and get me_.

* * *

><p>Elena groaned inwardly as she noticed Caroline and Bonnie waiting near her locker. <em>What the hell has gotten into these two<em>, Elena wondered. Sure, Caroline and her were friends, but when was she ever okay with Elena getting the attractive guy over herself? And Bonnie…she was never into the gossipy, when-are-you-hooking-up conversation. Yet there they were, wearing impish, impatient grins as Elena approached them.

"How did last night go?" Bonnie gushed.

Elena shrugged as she grabbed a couple textbooks from her locker. "I invited him over for dinner…that's about it." She conveniently forgot to mention the discomfort and confusion she felt throughout the night.

Caroline scoffed. "Dinner one night, sex the next."

"That's catchy," Bonnie said, laughing.

"Guys, I wouldn't get your hopes up…I'm supposed to see him again tonight, but I just…I think I'm going to cancel," Elena murmured.

"Elena Marie Gilbert! You will go on that date tonight, and we will not take no for an answer."

She expected her over-eager friends to say something along those lines. "We're going to be late for class," she replied lamely. Elena knew that nothing she said would dissuade them.

Her legs felt she was dragging a ball and chain behind her as she made her way to the history classroom. Ever since Damon came into her life, nothing felt right. He was all that preoccupied her mind, yet still she tried to think of way to end things between them before they truly started.

The low hush amongst the students rose into a dull roar as minutes passed after class was supposed to start. Elena's browed furrowed, knowing that Alaric would never be late to his own class. After fifteen minutes passed, the office secretary came to the room announcing that all history classes would be canceled for the day.

A flurry of cheering students rushed past Elena as she remained seated, a feeling of concern bubbling in her abdomen. _Where is Alaric? _

"We'll come over right after school to help you get ready for tonight," Caroline said, winking. Elena wished she could share Caroline's excitement.

Instead of walking to second period chemistry, Elena found herself walking down to the office. She needed to know why Alaric didn't come to school today.

* * *

><p>Damon quickly lost interest in sitting up at the bar alone. The bartender looked like he was still asleep, most of the women were sitting together at tables throughout the restaurant, which left him with the solitaire business men, stopping by for a quick cup of coffee before their grueling days in the office.<p>

A devilish smirk cracked along his lips as he released he would still have enough time to catch up with the history teacher. He seemed to provide a good amount of entertainment. Not to mention, Damon still needed to find out why Alaric was acting so different this morning.

He compelled the bartender to forget that he was ever there and made his way out of the Grill, thrilled to find Alaric was still walking down the street toward his car. Unlike other hunts, Damon wasn't even bothering to stealthily approach Alaric. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and he was interested to see how far he could take this little game.

Alaric subtly glanced to his left, pleased to find that Damon had taken the bait. After all these years, he'd finally be able to avenge his poor wife. He took a deep breath, forcing his mind to focus on what needed to be done. Although he had never staked a vampire before, Alaric spent years studying Isobel's research and even developed his own weapons – like vervain grenades.

Damon was picking up his pace now. Alaric popped the hood to his SUV and reached inside, grabbing what he needed. He purposely stood with his back facing Damon, giving him what he hoped would be a false sense of security.

"Ric!" Damon greeted, his voice dripping with blatantly fake cheeriness. "Shouldn't you be at school by now, grading papers or something?"

"Technically yes," he gritted. "I just have one more thing to do first." He quickly spun around, firmly gripping a handmade stake. He managed to shove the wooden weapon between Damon's ribs, but missed his heart.

"Oh, you are _so_ dead," Damon growled. He effortlessly ripped the stake out and pulled Alaric into a chokehold. His strength alone could've broken Alaric's neck, but he had a more poetic death in mind.

Not desiring to make a scene so early in the day, Damon dragged Alaric into a small alley between two buildings nearby. He threw Alaric into the brick wall, taking pleasure in the sound of his pained grunts.

"How did you know I was a vampire?" Damon asked with a taunting smirk. "Here I thought I put on a perfect performance last night at dinner."

"I'll admit it probably took me longer than it should have, but I would never forget the face of the monster who killed my wife," Alaric spat.

Damon hadn't expected that one. "Your wife, huh?"

"Isobel."

"You're going to have to be a little more specific," Damon laughed. "I don't think you realize how long my list of victims is."

"You know exactly who I'm talking about. I got home just in time to watch you suck the life out of her. What did you do with her body?"

Damon grinned with dark, glistening eyes. "Absolutely nothing. You see, Ric, I didn't kill her…well, I mean, not technically. She came to me, begging for eternal life…anything to escape her mundane existence with _you_."

Alaric, despite having already suffered some injuries, charged for him, intending to jab a syringe or two of vervain into Damon's arm. But of course, Damon was much quicker this time around. Damon shoved the stake directly through Alaric's heart without much struggle.

Knowing that this town was no stranger to the supernatural, Damon removed the stake and stood there a moment longer, watching Alaric lying on the ground, a bleeding, wheezing excuse of a man.

* * *

><p>Elena felt even more confused as she stepped out of the office and leaned up against a wall of lockers. The secretary said that she hadn't received any calls from Alaric stating that he would be absent from his classes. That didn't sit well with her. Alaric didn't seem like the kind of guy to be a no call, no show.<p>

And then she found out that Jeremy already skipped first period and presumably the rest of his classes. She thought they had agreed to talk to the sheriff together…then he goes and ditches school. Elena raked her fingers through her hair and sighed.

_None of this would be happening if Mom and Dad were still alive_, she thought.

Since she was already late for her second period class, Elena found her feet leading her to the cafeteria. She began wondering how this day could get any worse.

* * *

><p>Damon stepped out of the shower with the biggest smile on his face. Although he still had a couple hours until he was supposed to pick up Elena, he couldn't help but get ready early. The day had been so outstanding so far. He got a little bit of amusement out of the history teachervampire hunter. Now, it was time for a little snack.

He settled for a black button-up shirt and dark blue jeans. He smirked at his own reflection before heading down the basement where he food awaited. He could hear her frantic heartbeat before he even stepped down the stairs. His mouth began salivating.

Vicki gasped when she saw Damon lingering outside the barred door. "Stay away from me," she growled, her voice quivering.

"No need to be afraid," Damon said kindly, as he stepped inside the small room, closing the door behind him. "I'm just here for a bite."

She shook her head violently, backing into a corner. Her dirty, matted hair clung to her tear-soaked cheeks. A part of her wished that he would just kill her and get it over with. A part of her was still trying to believe that this man…this monster was just a drug-induced hallucination.

But after witnessing him rip apart those police officers, Vicki couldn't deny the truth.

"Why can't you just let me go? I won't tell anyone. I just wanna go home," she cried.

"I need you to stay here just a little while longer," he said, kneeling next to her.

"How much longer?" she whispered.

Damon shrugged. "Guess it all depends on how my date goes tonight."

"Who in their right mind would date _you_?" she laughed.

"Elena Gilbert."

"Little slut," she scoffed.

Damon's eyes narrowed into a frightening glare. "I was going to make this quick, but now I think I'm going to take my time."

Fear was etched across her face as he tugged on her long hair, bringing her body up against his and leaving her neck fully exposed. He ripped the bandages off her previous wound and dug his fangs into the scarred remains of his last bite. She cried out in pain, but Damon didn't have to bother stopping her.

No one could hear her scream in the abandoned boarding house.

* * *

><p>Elena sat in the car, waiting for Jeremy to show up. She wondered if he would even tell her that he skipped school today. Upon glancing at her phone, Elena noted that she only had three more hours until Damon was supposed to pick her up. She groaned mentally.<p>

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting," Jeremy said as he hopped into the car.

"Why did you skip school today?" she blurted.

Jeremy hit his head against the headrest and sighed. "Look, I just couldn't sit through a whole day of classes without knowing anything more about Vicki. I had to go see Sheriff Forbes."

Elena's stern expression softened a bit. "What did she say?"

"Apparently some policemen found Vicki practically buried alive in the cemetery. They're all dead and now her whereabouts are unknown."

Elena backed out of the parking spot and started driving home. She needed to say something to comfort Jeremy, but her mind was so scrambled with her own problems that she could barely think straight. "Jer, we both know Mystic Falls isn't a huge town…I'm sure they'll find her soon. The sheriff won't let her die."

"I…I just can't stand feeling so useless," he sighed, turning to stare out the window. Elena knew that he was done with this conversation.

Much to Elena's expectations, Caroline and Bonnie were sitting on her front porch, eagerly waiting for her.

"They got over here pretty fast. Got plans tonight?"

"I'm going on a date tonight and they're going to help me get ready…"

Jeremy turned to look at her as she backed into the driveway. "You don't seem really excited or anything."

"That obvious, huh?" she laughed. "I don't know…you remember Damon, from last night? I'm going out with him, but I feel so…nervous."

"What's there to worry about? It's not like he's a serial killer," Jeremy teased.

Caroline and Bonnie were ready to get started as soon as Elena stepped inside. Jenna had joined them in their insistent mission to present Elena as a goddess during this date with Damon.

"We picked out three outfits for you to choose from," Caroline said.

"I helped," Jenna said proudly.

"Consider me impressed," Elena said, with some honesty. She couldn't help but be thankful for all her friends' support. "Guess we better get started."

She settled on a violet-colored halter-top and skinny jeans.

"Now, don't get me wrong, Elena, you have gorgeous hair…but I think for such a special occasion we need to do something different with it."

Elena was hesitant and didn't really think she should be putting this much work into impressing Damon, but she knew she couldn't argue with Caroline when she put her mind to something.

And for whatever reason, everyone was obsessed with getting Elena and Damon together.

After a painstaking hour and a half, the trio had finished perfecting Elena's look. Elena could hardly recognize herself in the mirror. Her brown locks were twisted into sharp curls, framing her face. Caroline might have over-done the makeup, but Elena couldn't deny that she looked drop-dead gorgeous.

"Okay, well I guess it's time for me to get into role model mode," Jenna announced, clearing her throat. "Um…be home at midnight and try not to have too much sex."

Elena gasped and tossed a pillow at her guardian. "Aunt Jenna!" she whined.

Jenna shrugged. "Hey, I know I'd have a hard time resisting him."

The girls burst into a fit of laughter as they went on about how charming and attractive Damon was, and of course, how lucky Elena was. Suddenly, Elena didn't feel as nervous or skeptical. She was actually looking forward to seeing if Damon could sweep her off her feet tonight.

* * *

><p>Damon drifted around the corner as he turned onto Elena's street. He pulled up along the curb with style and punctuality. Elena's heartbeat tripled as she stepped off the porch and approached the pale blue Camaro. "Wow, you're right on time," she said, laughing nervously.<p>

Damon could hardly sit still once he saw Elena. Out of pure coincidence or not, she had decided to curl her long brown locks, making her look even more so like Katherine.

"I want to make sure we take _full_ advantage of our time together." Damon shot her a suggestive smirk.

His voice alone sent a pleasant shiver across Elena's skin. It took Elena a moment to swallow down her nervousness. Since when was she afraid to talk to a guy?

"In that case, what should we do first?" she breathed.

"I was thinking dinner under the stars…"

Elena frowned. "That sounds nice, but it's a little chilly outside."

Damon turned onto a dirt road that was surrounded by trees. Elena forced herself to remain calm. "No need to look so scared, Elena," he taunted.

Elena's eyes widened as a scarlet blush crept across her cheeks. _How could I be so obviously pathetic_, she mentally groaned. "I'm not scared at all," she shot back, playfully hitting his arm.

"Good. After all, the night's only just begun," he said under his breath.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Bonnie gathered all their make-up and hair-styling products shortly after Elena left. Assuming that Elena would be out late, they decided to go have a sleepover at Bonnie's house.<p>

"You've been awfully quiet since Elena left," Bonnie noted on the drive back.

Caroline shrugged. "It's weird…a part of me is super happy for Elena, but at the same time I just…ugh! How can she be so lucky? She gets everything!"

"Whoa, where is this coming from, Care? You could've tried your luck with Damon, too. But instead you've put all your effort into getting him and Elena together."

"Why didn't I?" she asked. "I haven't really felt like myself since that night…"

"Don't worry too much, okay? This is good for Elena, and you know it."

After Caroline got over her brief moment of distress, the girls went inside Bonnie's house and prepared themselves for a night of romantic comedies and popcorn. About halfway into _No Strings Attached_, Caroline's phone began ringing relentlessly.

"Pause the movie," she growled as she dug into her purse for the cellular device. She glanced down at the caller ID. Of course, her mom would be calling.

"What is it?"

"Hello to you too," Liz muttered. "Anyway, what are you doing tonight?"

"I'm spending the night at Bonnie's."

"Just you, Bonnie, and Elena?"

"Nope, Elena's not here tonight."

"Well, where is she? Look, Caroline, there have been a lot of animal attacks in the past couple days. You all need to stay inside."

"Don't worry, mom. Elena's probably the safest out of all of us. She's with Damon, her new boyfriend."

* * *

><p>Much to Elena's relief, Damon wasn't taking her out into the woods to kill her. She gasped in awe as she stepped out of the car and gazed at the massive boarding house. "This is where you live?"<p>

"It's been in the family for years. Unfortunately, it hasn't seen too much business lately, but I still consider it to be home sweet home."

Damon let Elena explore the interior of the boarding house while he sped around in the backyard, assembling enough wood to create an acceptable bonfire. Although Elena was fascinated with the house's décor, she couldn't help but be distracted. She swore she could hear someone crying and began walking toward where she assumed was the source. Was it coming from the basement?

Just as she was about to open the door leading to the basement stairs, Damon sped into the house and snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her up against his chest. Elena froze as she felt his warm breath trickle down her neck. How did she not hear him approach her? "And just where do you think you're going?" he whispered huskily.

Elena fumbled over her words, trying to figure out what to say without sounding like an idiot. "I…I thought I heard a noise coming from the basement." _Crap_.

A few silent seconds passed by, driving Elena insane. "You know how old houses can be," Damon said distantly. "They make a lot of noises." He knew that that was probably a terrible response, but he was having a hard time biting back his anger – and resisting simply ripping into Elena's neck right then and there. But it was far too early in the night for that.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Elena murmured, feeling Damon's hold loosen.

"Why don't we head back outside?" he suggested.

"But it's so warm and cozy in here," she pouted.

Damon laughed, adoring her childlike behavior. "Trust me, I'll make you feel twice as warm and cozy outside."

Elena gave up on her attempt to stay indoors and followed him down the grassy hill leading to the backyard. She was surprised to find a towering fire awaiting them. "How did you have the time to get this fire so big? I was only inside for five minutes!"

Damon shrugged. "What can I say? I'm really talented with my hands."

As the night went on, Elena found herself creeping closer and closer to Damon. The fire made it so that she was actually quite warm in the winter weather, so she knew she didn't want him for his body heat alone.

* * *

><p>"I think you've had enough," Damon laughed, holding the bag of marshmallows just out of Elena's reach. Of course with a fire of this caliber, they couldn't resist roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.<p>

Elena climbed over him and still tried to reach for the sugary goodness. "That's not fair! I've only had four or five."

"If you want them so bad, you'll just have to get them yourself."

She continued to stretch over him, but ended up falling right into his lap. They both broke out into a fit of laughter. After they recovered, Elena sat up, though she was still sitting in his lap. The minute she made eye contact, there was simply no turning away. She was completely lost in his crystalline stare, which caused her to let go of any fear holding her back.

It took everything he had for Damon to hold back the smirk itching to make its way across his lips. This was even easier than he imagined!

Elena glanced down at his lips and then up to his eyes. Although she didn't want to be the one to make the first move, she just couldn't resist him any longer. Her eyes snapped shut as she leaned forward and brushed across his lips. The moment their lips met, Damon decided it was his turn to take over.

His fingers pressed up against the base of her skull, pushing her up against him. His tongue ran along her lips, which soon parted and granted him access. Damon fell backwards onto the ground as Elena straddled him. She ran her fingers through his thick raven hair, ignoring her lungs' desperate plea for some air. His kisses were rough, filled with passion and desire.

Damon could tell that she needed to breathe, so he pulled back slightly and allowed her some breathing space. "Why don't we continue this in my room?" he asked, sounding pretty breathless himself. "You head up and I'll take care of the fire."

Elena nodded eagerly. "Where is it?"

"Third floor on the left."

Elena practically ran up the grand staircase leading to Damon's room. Her mind felt clouded, but she didn't care. She couldn't remember ever wanting anything as much as she wanted Damon right now.

Once she located his room, she tossed her purse on the bed and browsed some of the dusty books that lined his shelves. She was surprised to find that he had quite an impressive literary collection.

The sound of her phone ringing didn't register in her mind until the third or fourth ring. "Oh crap!" Elena shouted, fearing that it was Aunt Jenna. She dashed over to the bed and reached for her phone, but was too late. By the time she checked her phone, it had stopped ringing…and there was a voicemail. Groaning to herself, she played the message.

"Elena! Elena, please pick up your phone. It's Alaric. Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but Damon attacked me earlier…and I thought I died, but I woke up in the back of some alleyway… You need to stay away from him, Elena. He's not...human."

_That can't be right…_

Alaric's warning re-played over and over in Elena's mind. Why would Damon have any reason to attack Alaric? Was that the reason why Alaric wasn't in class today? Elena felt her skin grow cold as all feelings of desire and love suddenly disappeared. She needed to get out of there.

Without wasting another second, she grabbed her purse off the bed and spun around, only to run into a very firm chest. Slowly, she glanced up and came face-to-face with Damon.

He grabbed her phone and purse right out of her hands and discarded them on the floor.

"Going somewhere?"

* * *

><p>I know it's been <em>months <em>since I've updated this story, so I tried to make up for that by making this chapter extra long ;)

I wrote this is a couple different sittings, so I apologize if it seems scattered at times. But on the bright side, I have a better idea of where I want to take this story.

**Comments?**


	6. Chapter 6

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember 

Chapter 6: The Investigation

* * *

><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer._

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes._

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

**Previously:**

_He grabbed her phone and purse right out of her hands and discarded them on the floor. "Going somewhere?"_

* * *

><p>Words formed in Elena's mind, but failed to ever make it out of her mouth. Her cheeks burned bright red as embarrassment seemed to overcome her initial fear. Seeing that her voice was failing her, she tried to use her hands to explain: <em>I was going to see how much longer you were going to be<em> or perhaps _Sorry, my aunt told me I had to come home._

She knew exactly why she couldn't get the words out. She was still hearing Alaric's voicemail playing on repeat in her mind. He said that Damon attacked him, nearly _killed_ him. But that didn't make sense. Damon and Alaric seemed to get along fine during dinner the other night. Maybe Alaric mistook his attacker to be Damon?

Damon was just staring at her, a waning amount of patience hanging on the upward curl of his lips. Elena closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath. "Is…everything alright?" Damon asked.

"I…I need to head home. I do have school in the morning and –."

"You could just spend the night here," he breathed, stepping toward her. "I could drop you off at school in the morning."

If she hadn't checked her phone, the answer would be an obvious yes. In reality, she could hardly compose herself around him, let alone be able to share a bed with him. "As much as I'd really like to, I think tonight I should go home. Jenna's probably worried enough as it is." Elena laughed nervously.

Damon's fingers balled into fists as he tried to keep himself under control. His jaw was aching as the fangs tried to peak out of his gums. All he wanted to do was have a taste of her blood, just a little to hold him over till morning. In addition to that, he could tell that something must've happened in the brief time they spent apart, though he couldn't even begin to imagine what that could be. Her heartbeat was pounding so fiercely – this was more than just nervousness.

She was scared. Though, he had to admit, she was doing a damn good job at hiding it.

He wasn't ready to let her go so early in the evening, but he needed to consider what would be best for the long run. He smiled as best he could, intending to reassure her, but noticed that it did little to calm her heartbeat. "That's alright, Elena. I'll call you tomorrow and we can plan our next date?" he asked, sounding pathetically hopeful.

Elena let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, relieved upon hearing that she would be free to go. "Um sure, sounds good. I'm…sorry tonight ended so abruptly."

Damon shrugged. "Guess we'll have to save all the fun for next time." He winked at her as she smiled awkwardly, reaching for her things. She met his eyes one last time as she passed him. Though he was smiling at her, it didn't appear to be genuine. There was something in his eyes. Something dark and menacing, making her skin crawl.

* * *

><p>Sheriff Forbes couldn't stop thinking about the incident at the mall – the "animal attack." After making sure that Caroline was up and getting ready for school, Liz headed to the station and began reviewing the surveillance footage from the mall.<p>

She watches the tapes several times, both horrified and oddly elated to see a _man_ responsible for the killings. Unfortunately, she couldn't recognize him, regardless of how long she spent staring at the grainy video. But there was no doubt in her mind – this stranger was a vampire.

Her only hope would be Jeremy Gilbert, the lone survivor of the attack.

Liz spoke with the principal, explaining the situation, and asked if she could speak with Jeremy during homeroom and possibly first period, should the interrogation last that long.

"Jeremy Gilbert, please report to the principal's office," a secretary called out over the intercom.

Jeremy rolled his eyes at the sounds of childish teasing coming from his classmates. He knew he hadn't done anything wrong. He was more curious than afraid. Maybe the principal was going to let him go home early. He laughed a little to himself before opening the door, his laughter quickly dying off at the sight of a grim-looking Sheriff Forbes.

"Hello, Jeremy," Liz said. "Since you're the only witness for the case, I thought I'd show you some surveillance video I received from the mall security."

_Crap_, he thought. _This is the last thing I want to think about right now._ Despite him not wanting to recall the horrible afternoon, a part of him was thrilled that the police made such a breakthrough. This video would surely help provide more answers. He nodded, sitting down next to the principal's desk and turning his attention to the computer screen.

He watched in silence as the tape helped him recall the events he dispelled from his focus, which seemed unusual. The man – or monster – that attacked them looked familiar. He did an excellent job masking his emotions once he made the connection. _That's Damon…the guy Elena went out with last night_, he thought, puzzled. Why hadn't he remembered him? He was there, saw the whole thing with his own eyes, yet it wasn't until now that he made the connection.

"That man killed your friends and is keeping Vicki God knows where," Liz said. "Do you recognize him at all? Ever see him before?"

The words were right on the tip of his tongue, begging to be spoken. But there was some sort of mental block preventing him from telling the sheriff about Damon. "I-I," he began, then looked regretful. "I don't know who that is. Everything from that day just seems like a blur…like it never even happened, though I know that it did."

"It was a traumatic experience, no doubt," the principal said. "Although it could've been avoided if you kids wouldn't have skipped class…"

The sheriff shot her a look before turning back to Jeremy. She _needed_ him to remember who that man was. If they could apprehend him, this town would be rid of its accursed vampire problem.

* * *

><p>Tossing and turning, Elena couldn't fall asleep after escaping Damon. She needed to know what was going on before she so much as read another text message from him. Sighing upon seeing that it was already 5 a.m., she sat up in bed and sorted through the details.<p>

_I met him at the Grill…he had been at the bar drinking. Who goes out and drinks alone? Besides, he's way too attractive to _not_ have something wrong with him. He probably is some serial killer! There was something so…creepy about the way he was looking at me before I left. Of course the first guy I meet after breaking up with Matt and losing my parents would be some weirdo. I need to talk to Alaric and hear his side of the story before making a decision. But the way I feel right now…_

She wanted to tell him that it wasn't working out, that she never wanted to see him again. Simultaneously, she wanted to stay in his arms forever and never let him go. It came down to a battle of sensibility and safety versus desire. Not wanting to think these thoughts any longer, she pushed herself out of bed and decided to go over to the Grill, leaving a scribbled note in the kitchen, explaining her early departure to Jenna.

There weren't too many people at the Grill, and Elena was thankful for that. From what she could gather, Alaric always went to the Grill before heading to the school. She knew that it was too early for him to come here yet, so she had to act quickly.

"What can I get ya?" the bartender asked, stifling a yawn.

Elena smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I was wondering if you were working yesterday morning?"

He gave her a weary look before nodding. "Unfortunately. I work every morning, Monday through Friday. Why do you ask?"

"I'm a little worried about my…mom's new boyfriend," Elena lied. "He said he was here in the morning, but she doesn't believe him. I don't trust him much. His name is Alaric Saltzman…kind of tall, sandy brown hair. He's a teacher at the high school."

The bartender paused, racking his memory. "You know, I think I know who you're talking about. The guy comes in every now and then, but always orders the same thing," he said, chuckling. "Black coffee with a hint of bourbon."

_He was drinking that early in the morning?_ Elena thought.

"Oh, really? That sounds like him."

"He seems like a nice guy," he shrugged. "Maybe a little on edge, but hey that's his business."

"Well, thanks for helping me. I'm sure my mom will feel much better now."

Elena felt flustered, storming toward the door and exhaling a deep breath. She raked her fingers through her hair, leaning up against her car. Laughter threatened to rack her body. How could she have been so stupid? Alaric was tipsy…that's why he didn't show up for class and that's why he made such an outlandish accusation. Unable to hold it together any longer, she broke into a fit of laughter.

Relief flooded through her body in waves – that is, until third period history class. Alaric could hardly get through the lesson without occasionally offering her a worried look. It bothered her. How long was he planning on continuing this charade? What did he have against Damon, anyway?

As soon as the bell rung, Elena sprung to her feet and tried to zip past Alaric's desk unnoticed. Unfortunately, he called out her name before she could exit. She turned around, crossing her arms over her chest. "What?"

Alaric frowned, confused as to why she was looking at him with such a…hateful look. He cleared his throat and motioned to one of the desks in the front row. "The next class won't be in for another fifteen minutes. You should sit down so I can try to explain things a little further."

"There's nothing to explain," she muttered. "I talked to the bartender at the Grill this morning. He told me about how you were drinking yesterday. Everything you told me, it was all some drunken illusion of yours!"

"Elena…that wasn't an illusion," he sighed, pausing to consider what would be the best thing to say. "Yes, I did have a little liquor in my coffee, but I was having a rough morning. When Damon showed up, I couldn't even keep it together. Just hear me out, please."

This topic was quickly becoming mentally exhausting, and Elena was tired of hearing about it. But she couldn't ignore the pleading, desperate look in Alaric's eyes. If this were some sort of sick, drunken joke, she was sure he would've dropped it by now. She sat down in one of the desks and looked up at him expectantly.

Alaric was relieved that she was giving him a chance. Unfortunately, he still couldn't figure out what to say. Should he mention Isobel? Or should he focus on the events that transpired yesterday? He held his hands up defensively. "I know what I'm about to say is going to sound crazy at first, but bear with me. As you know, my wife was murdered a few years ago and her body was never found. That's not the whole story. I came home from finishing up some work on campus, and I found her in the arms of another man – a man who had her blood smeared all over his face."

"Are you saying your wife was killed by a vampire?" Elena asked flatly.

Alaric ignored her tone and continued. "Ever since Damon came over the other night for dinner, I couldn't shake this uncomfortable feeling. I knew I'd seen him somewhere before, but I couldn't figure out where – until I realized that _he_ was the monster who killed my wife. After making the connection, could you blame me for needing a drink in the morning?"

Elena pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling her head ache as she tried to process what he just said. "You're telling me that Damon is a vampire, a vampire who killed your wife? Vampires aren't real, Ric. There's just no way…"

"Believe me, I know how you're feeling right now. As ironic as it could be, Damon sat down next to me at the Grill, trying to make small talk. I got up and left, hoping he'd follow me, and he did. I tried to stake him, but I'd never killed a vampire before so it ended miserably. I _know_ that he killed me…but I came back to life. I think it may have to do with this ring," he paused and toyed with the gaudy jewelry.

Elena glanced down at his hand and frowned. "That looks just like a ring my brother inherited from my dad…"

"Isobel was into the supernatural…it was all she ever thought about. She gave me this ring, told me it would protect me. I didn't think she meant _literally_."

"Vampires and magic rings…what the hell," Elena groaned, desperately wishing she could write all of this off as nonsense and move on. But something deep in her gut was forcing her to continue listening to Alaric's stories and explanations.

"Now do you see why I warned you to stay away from Damon?" Alaric asked softly.

"Even if everything you said is true," Elena argued, "he never tried to hurt me…or bite me. He seemed like a completely normal guy."

"Maybe he's trying to hide the truth from you. Maybe he doesn't want you to know what he is."

"Well, we did just meet, what, two days ago? Unless he was going to kill me, I don't see that being an easy conversation starter," she laughed bitterly. Her laughter died when her phone rang, the caller ID displaying Damon's name. She hit the ignore button a little harder than intended.

"That was him." She took a deep breath and grabbed her backpack. "I don't know if I believe in vampires or anything, but you don't have to worry," she smiled, though her eyes held traces of sadness. "I won't be seeing Damon anytime soon…at least not until all this is sorted out." She felt her stomach drop, knowing that the only way she'd ever truly believe in vampires was to see it for herself, to see Damon kill someone.

* * *

><p>Even though the evening ended much sooner than Damon preferred, he didn't let it deter him. He was still more determined than ever to make his, to enjoy her company just long enough before killing her. He knew that she would be in school, but figured that he'd call her since it was close to lunchtime. The phone only rang a couple times before going into voicemail. He shrugged it off, assuming it to be a bad time.<p>

However, when the calls were being ignored more frequently, even after school hours, he felt his rage growing. _What the hell happened last night that caused her to suddenly back off? I know it wasn't anything _I _did, which means someone else is responsible_, Damon thought.

He'd already compelled Caroline to continuously speak in his favor, should Elena show any signs of hesitation. Now, he needed a more forceful approach. He smirked to himself as he got into his car and drove over to Elena's house. She couldn't ignore him there.

* * *

><p>By the time Elena packed her backpack and grabbed her car keys, she already had four "missed" calls from Damon. She voluntarily ignored each one, even though she could've easily slipped outside of class to talk to him. He never left a message, so it must not have been that important.<p>

She was sick of this before it even started. She knew from the beginning that a hot stranger usually meant danger, but she didn't listen to that logic, didn't _want_ to listen to it.

"There you are!" Caroline cried out, Bonnie behind her. "We haven't seen you since history this morning. How dare you keep details from last night's date from us."

Elena slammed her locker shut and sighed. Bonnie took note and approached the subject from a more cautionary angle. "I'd say it didn't go very well," she said softly.

"It…it started out fine. But something happened – and no, Caroline, I don't want to talk about it," Elena replied. "There's something not right about him."

"C'mon, Elena! You are going to regret it so bad if you let someone like him walk out of your life. You're just _trying_ to find something wrong with him."

"I didn't need to try very hard. He proved it all on his own," Elena said. "Now, as much as I'd love to keep reliving last night, I have to go home." She could feel her friends' shocked and somewhat angered stares burning into her retreating figure, but she didn't really care. If anything, she had the right to be mad at them. Why were they acting like this? She needed them more than ever right now, and all they could do was act like Damon's number one fans.

Maybe Jenna would be a better audience.

* * *

><p>Jenna opened the door, praying that she wouldn't find Logan Fell waiting for her on the other side. Much to her surprise, it was Damon who was standing there.<p>

"Damon! What are you doing here?" she said with a smile.

"I was going to surprise Elena."

"Well come on in. She won't be home from school for another half hour."

Damon grinned charmingly as he stepped inside the house, hearing some water boiling in the kitchen. "Are you making dinner?"

Jenna was caught a little off guard by the random question, but nodded. "Yep, just some spaghetti. Wanna help?"

"Absolutely."

Damon followed her into the kitchen and noticed a half-drunken glass of wine. He smirked to himself, reaching for the bottle. "Mind if I join you in your mid-day drinking?"

Her eyes bulged and a slight blush crept across her cheeks as she lunged for the bottle. "I wasn't expecting anyone to come over…" she mumbled. After a couple failed attempts she resigned and took a long swig from her glass. "I'm making Italian, it only seemed fair to have some wine," she shrugged.

"I'm definitely not judging," Damon said coolly, pouring a glass for himself. He could feel Jenna's suspicious gaze on him.

"I can feel my parental instincts starting to kick in. Just how old are you, Damon? Clearly, you're over 21."

A sarcastic, playful laugh would've sufficed as all the answer that Jenna needed, but Damon decided to give her an actual answer. "I'm 24, which I know makes me sound way too old for Elena, but I think she knows what she's getting into."

Jenna nodded, a bit of a vacant expression on her face, as if she were lost in thought. "Ha, you're six years older than Elena, and six years younger than me." Perhaps the wine had hit her harder than she realized. Damon didn't care; in fact, he was pleased to see the alcohol taking its toll.

He leaned in, cornering her between him and the stove. "What are you implying?" he whispered huskily. He watched as Jenna struggled to find a response, as her heartbeat began to drum a little faster. The moment was momentarily lost, though, when her cell phone rang. She struggled to reach the device from her back pocket, while trying to maintain some distance between herself and Damon.

"H-hello?" she answered in a breathy voice.

"Hey, Jenna," Jeremy said. "I'm going to be home a little late."

"Why? What's going on?"

"The sheriff came to school today to talk about the mall murder…she showed me surveillance footage and interrogated me for a bit. I'm almost done here, I just wanted to let you know what was going on."

"Okay, thanks, Jer. See you later tonight."

Naturally, Damon listened to every word of the conversation and felt a combination of amusement and annoyance. The sheriff was trying to find the murder behind an event that claimed to be an animal attack – hence the amusement. But the annoyance came from the realization that she has probably watched that footage a hundred times over by now and has memorized his face. Now, he'd have to be careful when he was in town.

_If the sheriff and Elena's brother are the only two who've studied that tape, maybe I'll just kill them. Problem solved_, Damon thought.

Once Jenna ended the call, Damon swooped back in. "Where were we?"

* * *

><p>Jeremy took a deep breath as he stared at the menacing shadow of the Salvatore boarding house. He remembered hearing Damon saying something about this place the other night at dinner and figured it would be the best place to start looking for answers. Thankfully the driveway was empty, which suggested that he had at least a little bit of time to search the place.<p>

"Remind me again why we're at this abandoned dump?" Matt asked. He'd agreed to drive Jeremy, but didn't know where or why Jeremy needed the ride.

"It has to do with Vicki," Jeremy said distantly. "Are you going to come in with me or stay here and keep watch?"

Suddenly, Matt's interest grew. "If it involves my sister, you know I have to go in, too."

Jeremy nodded and made the first move to leave the truck. Only he had a vague idea of the kind of person they were dealing with. If everything went according to plan, they wouldn't have to run into Damon, so he decided to keep some of the more terrifying details to himself.

They walked up to the front door, surprised to find it completely unlocked. "Are you sure this guy isn't home?" Matt whispered nervously.

"Unless he walks everywhere or drives an invisible car, there's no way he's home."

Although hesitant, they stepped inside and were immediately distracted by the immense-sized rooms and elegant décor. "We should split up," Matt suggested. "We can cover more space that way." Jeremy agreed, deciding to start with the basement. Maybe Damon would be a cliché villain and store his victims in the cellar.

He found the stairs leading to the basement with ease. Compared to the rest of the house, the basement looked like some sort of earthen burrow. There weren't even any real walls down there – just the muddy, rocky tunnels. The further he walked, the stranger the area got. _Are these cells or something_? He wondered, noting the barred doors and small, windowless rooms.

Each of the cells he'd peered into were empty, until he reached the last one. After hearing the whimpering, low breathing, he didn't need to look to know what he'd found. He sprinted the short distance to the last cell and fumbled with the lock on the door before busting into the room.

There she was – covered in dirt and blood, clothes ripped and tattered, hair matted. She looked like she shouldn't still be alive. She looked like a beaten corpse – nothing like the Vicki he saw only two days ago.

"Oh my God," he cried, cradling her in his arms. "Vicki!"

Her eyes fluttered and then slowly opened. "J-Jeremy?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

"Let's get you out of here. MATT!" He waited until Matt joined him downstairs, cringing once he saw Matt's tortured expression. Being as careful as possible, they lifted her up and carried her upstairs. Ignoring the fact that it all seemed too easy, they got her into the truck and sped off toward the hospital with hopes to repair the damage caused by that monster.

* * *

><p>Jenna giggled a little, finishing her glass. She knew that it wasn't right to be flirting with the guy her niece was potentially dating. There was just something about him – something irresistible that caused any sort of logical reasoning to fly out the window, along with her sobriety. "I think I'm done with drinking for the evening," she said as sternly as possible. "Elena's going to home from school soon and we haven't finished cooking yet!"<p>

Damon snatched a chopped piece of celery off the cutting board and popped it into his mouth, smirking a little. "I don't think Elena will mind if dinner is a little late tonight. We have a little more time to…kill." Without warning, Damon lowered his head and let his lips graze along her neck. He felt her shiver up against him, which only urged him to continue. He groaned, feeling overwhelmed by the scent of her blood…the sound of her pulse. Surely he had enough time to catch a quick bite.

Deciding that Jenna was tipsy enough to not be bothered by the pain, he bit into her flesh, greedily sucking her blood. She struggled a little at first upon realizing he wasn't trying to leave a simple hickey, but eventually started to fall limp and relaxed into his arms. He'd felt as if he hadn't eaten in days, despite his breakfast so generously taken from Vicki.

He would've bled Jenna dry if it wasn't for the stark scream that interrupted the process.

* * *

><p>Uh-oh...maybe Elena will get her proof a little sooner than she expected. Will Damon be able to get himself out of this situation? Will Vicki really be safe, or was it all a part of Damon's plan? Find out in the next chapter!<p>

Also, I'd like to wish you all a belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

**Comments?**


	7. Chapter 7

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 7: The Hindrance

* * *

><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer._

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes._

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

* * *

><p>Elena watched the world pass by her in a haze as she drove the memorized path from school to home. She needed to get these feelings off her chest, to get an opinion from an unbiased person, not too for and not too against Damon. Jenna was her last hope, and if she was anything like Caroline, Elena was sure she'd start screaming and ripping her hair out.<p>

_I wish you were still here, Mom_, Elena thought sadly. _You'd know exactly what to say._ She could still remember the endless spring nights staying up with her mom, talking about her feelings toward Matt, filling out the application for the Miss Mystic Falls pageant… After going through what she did during the past couple days, Elena almost felt like laughing at herself for ever considering something so trivial as a trigonometry test or boyfriend trouble to be stressful.

As she rounded the corner_,_ Elena's breath froze in her lungs. Damon's car was parked in front of her house. Cringing, she realized she'd have to face her problems _much_ sooner than she would've preferred. To make matters worse, the tiny part of her that believed every word of Alaric's story went into full panic upon realizing that Jenna was alone with Damon.

She hastily pulled into the driveway and bolted from the car to the porch, nearly tripping over herself twice. Once she made it up the steps, she tried to steady herself and draw in deep breaths. He didn't know that she was there yet – with any luck. She could sneak inside and see what was transpiring for her own eyes. Turning the doorknob slower than she thought possible, Elena gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was quiet, save for what sounded like water boiling in the kitchen. Elena made her way toward the kitchen, honestly not knowing what to expect.

As she got closer, she could hear moans and gasps. Images of Jenna and Damon having sex on the countertop drifted subconsciously into her mind, making her shudder. Another step forward took her into the kitchen. Needless to say, the sight before her was much worse than what she'd imagined. Blood was smeared in various streaks across the white cabinets. Damon had Jenna pinned up against the refrigerator, using it in a poor attempt to keep her limp body standing. Damon's face was nestled into the space between Jenna's jaw and collarbone. He was biting her – no, _chewing_ seemed more accurate.

_Vampire._

The scream started in her chest, crawled up her throat and slipped past her lips as her mind was still trying to process the sight before her. Damon ripped his fangs out of Jenna's flesh and turned to face Elena. He looked like the epitome of a monster – hair sticking out in crazed directions, eyes a glowing crimson with a hint of his normal crystalline irises peaking through, pointed edges of fangs reaching just past his lips, and blood leaking sloppily down his chin.

With his attention taken from Jenna, her near lifeless body slumped to the floor, a puddle of blood forming beneath her. Damon took one step toward Elena, sending her body into fight-or-flight mode. She reached for a nearby knife, still covered in some juices from the vegetables Jenna had been slicing. Not sure what else to do, she charged forward, trying desperately to avoid looking at his face. Much to her surprise, she made contact and stabbed him straight in the gut. She felt a little _too_ pleased watching his blood slide across her fingers.

That excitement vanished once he placed a hand over hers, gripping until she relinquished her hold. Then, he pulled the knife out of his stomach and tossed it to the floor with a clatter. He didn't so much as cringe or groan – not the slightest hint of pain was evident on his face.

He used the back of his hand to wipe away some of the blood on his face, while the fangs and red-hued eyes slowly disappeared and returned to normal human features. He smiled a little, feeling the wound already almost done healing. "It's going to take a lot more than a kitchen utensil to hurt me, Elena."

A fierce chill swept through Elena's body as the reality of the situation, of her conversation with Alaric fell upon her. She didn't want to believe it – didn't want to believe he was a vampire, didn't want to believe he attempted to kill her aunt.

_How can I ignore what's right in front of me_? She thought.

The grin that was twisting up at the corners of his lips seemed much more terrifying than the fangs. He took a small step toward her, causing Elena to leap backwards. "S-stay away from me," she whispered, voice quivering with every syllable she spoke.

Damon laughed briefly, never once breaking eye contact. "What if I don't want to?"

"I'll…" she began, mind endlessly thinking about Alaric. Alaric, who has vampire weapons. Alaric, who apparently couldn't be killed by a vampire. "I know how to kill a vampire."

He rolled his eyes, subtly moving closer to her. "I already told you. Knives won't work."

"Not knives," she countered, feeling emboldened. "A wooden stake, right through the heart." If vampires were true, then other information about them, such as the means to kill them, had to be true as well. When she couldn't find any hint of fear or doubt in Damon's eyes, Elena decided upon using her last, desperate plan.

Feigning surprise as she peered over Damon's shoulder, she shouted, "JENNA, NO!"

Damon fell for the bait and turned around to see what was going on, allowing Elena the perfect opportunity to dash toward the stairs. Her legs operated on their own intent to keep the rest of her body alive as she moved with speed she didn't know she possessed. She took the stairs two at a time and made it to her bedroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. Elena, still new to the world of vampires, didn't quite know how much strength or speed he would have, but she prayed this would at least buy her time…time to search for splintered wood sharp enough to break skin.

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><p>The hospital's rush had come and gone in the time since Jeremy and Matt brought Vicki in. A couple of nurses treated and bandaged her wounds before the doctor came in to do some tests. As it turned out, they'd probably have to stitch up her neck, and she'd need a lot of bed rest, but she would survive.<p>

That was all Jeremy needed to hear.

Sheriff Forbes was thrilled with the news of Vicki's rescue and raced over to the hospital. Knowing that Jeremy was such a crucial witness in this case, Liz sat down with both of them, but directed most of the questions toward him. "How'd you find her?" she asked.

Jeremy shrugged, mentally battling between the desire to inform the sheriff and the influential tug of Damon's compulsion. He knew exactly what he wanted to say, but certain words wouldn't form on his tongue. "I…I just had a feeling…an idea of where to find her. I went home and started thinking over everything and decided to ask Matt to help. When we found her, she was…covered in blood. She was a mess." By the time he finished, his voice was barely a whisper. Seeing her like that was just awful.

Liz jotted down some notes before continuing. "And, where did you find her?"

"Some abandoned house in the woods."

"Did you give any more thought to who could be responsible for this?"

"I don't know." Jeremy kept his eyes locked on the table, unable to meet her eyes. Liz took notice. Something didn't sit right with her. Matt was giving Jeremy an almost baffled look during most of the interrogation. She wanted to press the matter further, but Jeremy insisted on going to check in on Vicki again. Liz watched as got up to leave.

Matt stopped in front of her and kept his voice low. "I don't know why Jeremy was so cagey on the details, but he knew _exactly_ where to go. It was the Salvatore boarding house."

Liz nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "He's probably still traumatized from it all. But thank you for the information, Matt. Once I'm done here, I'll head over to the boarding house and see what I can find."

"Thanks, sheriff."

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><p>Elena panicked, watching the wood splinter as he pounded his fist against the door. She knelt down on the floor, covering her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. It did little to silence the sound, but did allow her to notice when the pounding ceased. She dared to peek from between her fingers and nearly screamed when she saw Damon's eyes watching her through a crack in the door.<p>

Sitting in the middle of the room, waiting for him, Elena was practically asking for death. She took a few rattled breaths in an attempt to steady herself before she sprinted toward the window and shoved it open. All the times she'd been terrified sneaking out at night and climbing down this tree years ago – none of those times could even come close to matching how she felt right now. She swung her legs out over the windowsill and stretched for one of the branches. A small smile of hopeful triumph was forming on her lips, cut short by the sudden, painful burning in her scalp.

She fell backwards, stumbling into his arms. Her arms flailed as she tried hopelessly to fight his grip. "No!" she cried. "Let me go."

He sighed before spinning her around unexpectedly. The world morphed into a swirling blob as she attempted to prevent another wave of nausea. That quickly became a second priority once she saw his fangs reemerge. He wasn't as feral as he had been when he bit Jenna. His monstrous snarl was replaced with condescending amusement, which seemed to be equally terrifying. "What's wrong, Elena? Is this going to cause a complication in our relationship?"

Finding that avoiding eye contact was the best way to maintain the shriveling remains of her confidence, Elena stared at the ground. "We never had a relationship, you delusional monster!"

The dancing glee alit in his eyes started to grow dimmer as he stepped closer to her. "I don't like this new attitude of yours."

She scoffed, feeling her fear vanish along with his amusement. "Am I supposed to care? There's nothing you could do to me, other than kill me." Elena could tell that this was all a game to Damon. As such, she figured he wouldn't want it to end so soon, which meant he probably had no intention of killing her right now. Probably.

"There are plenty of things I could do to you, little girl," he breathed, tracing a pulsing vein in her neck. "I could lock you up, like I did to your brother's girlfriend. I could drain your blood, a little bit each day."

"What did you just say?" she gasped. "What've you done to her?"

"Oh, relax. She's still alive and well. If you were smart enough, you could've visited her last night."

"Oh my god," she muttered, turning away from him. She could feel her heart violently rattling against her chest, restricting each desperate breath.

Damon reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her far too close to him. "There's so much more that I could do to you," he whispered into her ear.

She trembled in his grasp, resolution becoming a fleeting feeling. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"You look like her." The simplicity and sincerity of the statement surprised both of them.

"Like who?"

Damon blinked a couple times, like he'd just awoken from a hypnotic state. "Forget about it. I have something more important to tell you." He stared directly into her eyes with such intensity that Elena could not turn away, despite desperately wanting to avoid it. "You will forget about everything that happened today, forget about what happened to Jenna, forget what I am, and forget about everything we talked about. I want you to come over to my house tomorrow right after school. Do you understand?"

_This guy must be insane on top of everything else_, she thought, feeling the urge to laugh in his face rising in her chest. Given his serious tone and intense stare, she managed to figure out that he was somehow trying to hypnotize or brainwash her. _Maybe if I play along, he'll leave. _"I understand."

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><p>As Damon left the Gilbert residence, he was surprised to find that he didn't feel as smug as he should have. Didn't he just win? Didn't he just reset everything? <em>She didn't look any different from any other compelled human. It still feels too easy<em>, he thought. Even with the uneasiness, he forcibly shrugged it off, deciding that even if there were a complication, it would simply make all of this more of a challenge for him. And Damon loved challenges.

The smell of stale blood practically hit him in the face after only a couple steps into the boarding house. Flecks of blood, trailing on and off from the basement to where he was standing, stained the rugs and walls. "What the hell is going on?" he growled, running downstairs to confirm that Vicki was indeed missing. The only other person who could've figured Vicki's whereabouts would be that pest – Jeremy Gilbert. And the only place Vicki could be now, considering the severity of her wounds, would be the hospital.

If he wasn't so rushed to seek vengeance for Jeremy's interference, Damon might have paused a moment to appreciate the utter lack of hospital security. He strolled into the lobby, compelled the receptionist to tell him where Vicki was staying, and speed walked down the hall with a far-from-friendly expression on his face. It was quite fortunate that there were no doctors or nurses were in her room, lest they become a late night snack for him.

Vicki's breathing was slow and even paced, though Damon doubted she was asleep. She was probably relieved to be free, away from the boarding house and out of danger's grasp. He stood there and watched her, granting her a few more peaceful moments before he completely transformed her world. He wasn't going to kill her – that would be too easy. Too _kind_.

He bit into his wrist, a quick rip of the flesh. Cradling her head in his hands, he held his wrist to her mouth, unable to do much more than smear it across her lips. It didn't take long for her to realize that something wasn't right. Her eyes shot open, and she tried to sit up, but was pulled back into the pillow by her hair. The moment she saw Damon, she screamed, effectively giving him the opening he needed to shove his bloody wrist into her mouth. Once she swallowed a sufficient amount, he pulled away and took a few steps back.

Her movements were frantic – hands scrambling to wipe the blood away as if it were toxic, eyes staring at him with fear and confusion. "What did you just do to me?" she cried.

"I gave you my blood," he shrugged.

His indifference to the situation allowed her anger to completely manifest. "I can see that, dumbass. _Why_ did you do it?"

Damon didn't exactly care for her shift in attitude, but decided to ignore it knowing that she won't be feeling so high and mighty for much longer. "I fed you my blood so that I can kill you. Better?"

"NO!" she shouted, jolting up in a sitting position as she reached for the nurse's button. He was much quicker, despite her only being inches away from the button. With his hand on hers, he gently pulled her up out of the bed, ripping out the IV cords in a flash. She couldn't contain herself any longer and allowed the tears to fall from her eyes, willingly collapsing into his embrace. "Please don't do this to me."

"Everything would've been fine if your little lover boy knew how to mind his own business. You can thank him for this."

And then he snapped her neck.

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><p>"I'm sorry, I came as soon as I could," Alaric said, breathing heavily as he stepped into the Gilbert house. Elena glanced up from her position next to Jenna and ran over to his side, tears already spilling before she could even speak.<p>

"Oh my god, Alaric. You were right! He was here in my _house_…killing Jenna," she cried. "I don't know how I could've been so stupid to let myself get involved with someone like that."

"Don't even think about blaming yourself. There was no way you could've known. Hell, up until he attacked me, deep down inside I still had some doubts. How's Jenna?"

Jenna was resting on the couch, briefly passing in and out of consciousness. Elena did everything she could to clean up the blood and tend to her wound. Thankfully, the bleeding slowed and then stopped completely. "I'm just so glad she seems to be doing alright. What would I have said at the hospital? They'd think I was crazy," she said softly.

Alaric sat down next to her, holding something in his hand. "This should help complete the healing process." He handed her the small vile filled with a thick red substance. Blood.

"W-what do you mean?"

"That's vampire blood, from a friend of mine who works at the hospital. She keeps a small supply for patients in critical condition. Vampire blood will heal any injuries."

"This just keeps getting crazier and crazier by the minute," she sighed. "I'll give it to her when she wakes up."

"Did he do anything to you?" Alaric asked hesitantly.

"He…tried to do something, I guess. He looked into my eyes with this really intense stare and his pupils dilated. He told me that I would forget everything that happened today and that I would go to his house tomorrow after school. He said it all with complete certainty, almost like he was trying to hypnotize me or something."

A whoosh of relieved breath exhaled from Alaric's mouth. "That's exactly what he was trying to do. It's called compulsion. When you were in my classroom earlier today, I slipped some vervain into your backpack. It's an herb that is harmful to vampires, and defends against compulsion."

Elena's brow furrowed. She kept her backpack on during the entire ordeal, but now it was discarded in the kitchen. She retrieved her bag and dug around, eventually pulling out what looked like a smashed violet flower. "Vervain," she murmured, committing the name and its abilities to memory. "This little thing is what saved me from…from being his mind slave?"

Alaric nodded, a bitter smile tracing his lips. "Well, I think you passed this cram session of Vampire 101."

"I have to go over to his house tomorrow," she said, ignoring Alaric's attempted joke.

"Excuse me?"

Elena met his eyes with a look of determination and sorrow. "If he finds out that I'm not compelled, for the time being, he'll just come back here and hurt Jenna or Jeremy or any one of my friends. I can't let them get hurt because of me."

"And what do you plan to do if he compels you to do something you don't want to do? What if he tries to bite you?"

She raked her fingers through her hair, mind racing to find a solution, a foolproof safe approach to this plan. "I'll lure him into false security…then once he's caught off guard, I'll stake him."

"Elena, you don't know what you're dealing with. _I've_ never even staked one of them before!"

"You're not going to be able to change my mind. This is something that I have to do. Please, just trust me."

He sighed, knowing that it wasn't really his place to act like a father figure, nor would he be able to stop her. "If you end up getting hurt, you're going to have detention for the rest of the semester."

A smile spread on her lips, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. She didn't particularly enjoy dark humor. "Deal."

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><p>When Vicki woke up, she felt too many different kinds of pain. Her body was cold and stiff, much like the stone floor she was laying on. Her bones creaked, even from the little movement of pushing herself up and off the ground. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but once they did, she could see straight through the darkness. This room looked all too similar to the cell that she was locked in at the boarding house. Her lips were dry and felt stitched together. Her throat was shriveled up, causing her to feel as though she were being choked each time she swallowed.<p>

Hunger. The hunger hit her harder than anything else. Even so, it wasn't her stomach that churned as it used to when she was hungry. It seemed like the stronger the hunger grew, the tighter her throat constricted. She forced herself up onto her feet, eyes dancing around the room in search of sustenance. Then she saw it – an entire wall lined with blood bags. Some of them had fallen off the racks and broke open on the floor.

Vicki approached the wall cautiously. She didn't know why, but everything about the substance was calling out to her – never had she seen such a beautiful shade of red, never had she smelled such an appealing smell as the coppery scent of blood. Bending down, she ran her fingers along the small pool and brought her stained fingers up to her lips, sucking them dry.

"Tastes good, doesn't it?" Damon's voice called from the shadows.

She leapt to her feet, taking a sort of defensive stand. Admittedly, she was struggling to focus on him when the blood was so irresistible. "What's wrong with me? Why do I feel like this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he laughed. "You're a vampire."

"Yeah, right," she muttered, trying to laugh it off. But unless it became normal for humans to crave the taste of blood, she had a hard time mentally rejecting the possibility.

"Don't be shy. I got all of this for you. It should keep you busy for at least three or four hours."

"Why did you do this to me?"

Damon rolled his eyes, lazily reaching for one of the bags and sucking out the contents. "I already explained that to you. I hate repeating myself."

Vicki tried to reboot her memory, but the last few hours seemed like a blur of insanity. She remembered Damon capturing her, feeding off her…and then Matt and Jeremy rescued her. So, where was she now? How did she become a supposed vampire? In the few minutes she took to try to put together the puzzle that had become her mind, Damon downed two bags and checked his phone.

"It's nine in the morning, by the way. You can't go out in sunlight, so I'd sit tight and hang out down here. If you're good and finish all your bags, I'll consider letting you out tonight."

"You'll let me go?" she asked, a noticeable hint of excitement in her voice.

"Absolutely. You can go wherever you want – you can even visit Jeremy. In fact, I'd recommend it. Poor kid must be worried sick about you."

She grinned, immediately reaching for a bag. "You're right. He'll be the first person I visit!"

Damon left her behind, the satisfying sound of her guzzling blood fading with each step he took. Of course he conveniently forgot to mention that a new vampire with so much blood consumption would never be able to control herself around a human.

By the next sunrise, Jeremy will be dead.

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><p><strong>AN: **Looks like things are getting out of hand, and Damon doesn't even realize it yet! I'd planned for this chapter to go a little further, but as I kept writing, I realized it would make the chapter way too long. On the bright side, I already have a page of the next update written lol

Will Elena be able to fool Damon? Can the sheriff catch Damon off guard? How will Vicki act around Jeremy? Find out in the next chapter!

Comments = love


	8. Chapter 8

In Love With A Killer

By: Darkest Ember

Chapter 8: The Recognition

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><p><strong>Summary:<strong>

_Damon has found Katherine's doppelganger, and he decides to toy with her by asking her to be his girlfriend. Elena is stunned by this stranger's mystery and looks, so she gives him a chance. She begins to fall for Damon and thinks that everything is perfect...until strange occurrences start to happen around the boarding house where he lives. Elena will soon stumble upon a horrific discovery: she's in love...with a killer._

**Disclaimer:**

_I do not own any of the Vampire Diaries characters. This is written purely for entertainment purposes._

**Title Credit:**

_"I'm In Love (With A Killer)" Jeffree Star_

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><p>Although Elena prayed for a quick and painless day at school, Caroline was making it obvious that that was not going to be the case. As she closed her locker, she jumped, startled to see Caroline standing there. "Hey," Elena said flatly.<p>

"We need to talk," Caroline said. "Tomorrow is the Halloween party, and none of us have coordinated our costumes! Unless of course you're taking Damon–."

"Can we talk about this later…or never?" she groaned.

Caroline scoffed. "You better have answers for me by history class." She saw Bonnie from over Elena's shoulder and dashed over to her to explain the 'urgent' situation. Elena wished she could share Caroline's enthusiasm, but to be honest she'd forgotten all about the party. Without a costume, she'll probably have to pass anyway. She didn't have time for things like this anymore…

As the day passed, Elena felt the anxiety steadily increasing. There was no way she was going to make it through all seven classes. Once lunch rolled around, she met up with Alaric and asked if he could write a note to excuse her for the rest of the day. Along with the note, which was given tentatively, she received a small wooden stake and some stern warnings.

The house was empty when Elena got back. No one was there to keep her distracted, which allowed tempting thoughts of dealing with Damon to fill her mind. She knew she should stick to the plan and wait for school to end so Alaric would be available. But how could she? Regardless of what she tried to do to keep busy, all she could feel was the sinking feeling she got knowing that she'd have to face Damon…a murderous vampire who thinks she is currently subdued under his mind control.

Unable to sit and wait, Elena grabbed her backpack and car keys and sped over to the boarding house. She cursed under her breath upon realizing that she hadn't given Damon any indication that she would be showing up. _Will he realize I'm not compelled if I came over sooner than he said?_ She wondered as the panic swelled to new heights. _I can't leave now. It would look even more suspicious if I suddenly drove off._

Forcing herself to take deep breaths, Elena eventually got out of the car and walked up to the porch. After knocking a couple times and noting that the front door was unlocked, she let herself inside. When she'd first seen the boarding house, Elena noticed the grandness and air of antiquity that it possessed. Now, despite her fear and anxiety, she was able to examine the elegant furniture and paintings in greater detail. Being lost in the history and culture, she seemed to forget about the vampire lurking somewhere in the corridors.

Just as Elena reached for a book from the shelf in the library, something zoomed past her and pulled her into a chokehold. Elena cried out as her back was slammed into the unforgiving wooden shelf. Clouds of dust billowed down around her, which made it additionally harder to see her attacker. Once the dust cleared and she was able to regain her breath despite still being choked, Elena blinked a few times and was horrified to find Vicki standing before her.

The panicked look in Elena's eyes gave way to confusion. "V-Vicki!" she wheezed. "What's…what are you doing?"

"I'm _so_ hungry," she said lowly. "All of the blood is gone…"

"Blood? You mean you're a–."

"A vampire, Elena!" she shrieked, wracked with hysteria. "And I've gotta say, it was so kind of you to stop by just in time for lunch." Before Elena could've stated that she had already eaten, Vicki's face morphed into a monstrous contortion of throbbing veins and sharpened canines. Without any remorse or recognition of whom she was about to tear into, Vicki lunged forward and bit the sensitive flesh between the neck and shoulder.

Tears pooled in Elena's eyes as the tingling sensation of pain tormented her nerve endings. Suddenly, Vicki was ripped from Elena and tossed across the room with Damon standing in her place. Without saying a word, he stepped forward and cupped Elena's face in his hands, which felt like an oddly comforting gesture. Even so, it took most of her willpower to resist pulling away from his touch.

"Looks like she really tore up your skin," he said, examining the wound with interest and amusement. "Young vampires…always so messy." Elena's faux cool and collected posture noticeably tensed when he unflinchingly bit his wrist and brought it up to her lips. She already knew from last night's terror that vampire blood could heal, and since she could still feel blood gushing out of her neck, she had to accept his offer. Although she swallowed the amount he gave her, she couldn't stop herself from cringing, both from the awful, coppery taste and the overall encounter.

Now more aware of the world around her, Elena saw Damon's pupils dilating. "Now that that's taken care of, I want you to forget that any of this ever happened," he compelled.

_He expects me to just forget that Vicki…someone I've known since kindergarten…tried to kill me_, she thought with horror. _Maybe Mr. Saltzman was right. Coming here was a bad idea. _

* * *

><p>Sherriff Forbes sat at her desk and reviewed the surveillance footage from the mall attack. With a couple of teens dead and one still missing, she knew she needed to put this case to rest before Vicki joined the list of deceased. All her other leads had turned out to be dead ends, and the only one she had left was Matt's suggestion that Vicki's attacker lived at the Salvatore boarding house. It would be her last chance.<p>

As she was packing up a few things before heading to the boarding house, her cell phone rang. "Caroline," she greeted. "How was school?"

"The usual. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that Bonnie and I are going to the store to add some last minute touches to our Halloween costumes."

"You and Bonnie…what about Elena? You girls have always planned your costumes together."

"Yeah, Elena's been kind of MIA lately, thanks to her new boyfriend. But I don't blame her. If I was with a guy as hot as Damon Salvatore, I'd ditch everyone to be with him."

"Wait, did you say…Salvatore?" Liz asked, nearly dropping the phone. Surely, that couldn't be a coincidence.

* * *

><p>A thousand thoughts raced through Elena's mind as Damon placed a hand on the small of her back and led her over to the couch. A broken neck had silenced Vicki, but something told Elena that the newly turned vampire wouldn't be out for long. But instead of focusing on things like that, it would probably be best to stay focused on pretending to be under Damon's compulsion.<p>

She shot a forced smile in his direction, which he returned with his signature, arrogant smirk. "I've gotta say, I wasn't expecting you so soon," he said, running his fingers along her thigh. "You didn't skip school, did you?"

Elena stumbled through her response, eventually managing to string together a sentence. "Well, I already knew I'd be seeing you today. I just couldn't bear to sit through the rest of my classes."

When his roaming fingers crept just a little too close to the zipper on her pants, she decided to distract him. "I guess I just didn't feel like being around big groups of people. I spent a good portion of last night at the hospital."

She could tell that his look of concern was forged. "Oh, no. What happened?"

"I…I'm not sure. When I came home last night, my aunt…she was bleeding from the neck. She had to get stitches and everything."

Her answer seemed sufficient as he dropped the subject entirely and continued with his sexual pursuits. "That sounds terrible," he murmured as his steamy breath tickled her neck. "I think I know what will help you."

"You do?" she exclaimed a little too loud.

Damon arched a brow for a moment before regaining his composure and leaning closer to her. "Sex," he breathed while stroking her cheek.

She couldn't swallow the squeaky response that slipped past her lips. "I-Isn't it a little soon for that?" she asked nervously.

His eyes darkened at even the slightest signs of disobedience. "It's exactly what you need right now, Elena. It will keep your mind away from all those bloody images of dear Aunt Jenna." Although the words were assumed to be comforting, his voice held a steadily impatient edge. He didn't wait for Elena to sputter another excuse. He focused his eyes on hers and began the compulsion. "Elena, you want to have sex with me and you won't try to fight your desires any longer."

As Elena nodded her head in compliance and forced her shoulders to relax to his touch, she subtly swallowed a chunk of throw up that threatened to spew out. Knowing that he expected her to also participate in the act, Elena reached for the collar of his shirt with shaky hands. With a sharp tug, she met his lips with hers, which resulted in an unexpectedly passionate kiss.

Things would've gotten even hotter had she not accidentally run her tongue along his teeth. The teeth that tore into Jenna's neck.

She couldn't stop herself from pulling away as a quickly vanishing look of disgust lit her eyes. Damon didn't appear to be angered or confused by her sudden action; rather, he looked suspicious, and that made Elena feel nauseated.

"Why did you stop?"

"I…I'm just _so_ overwhelmed with feelings right now. It's all so exciting," she said lamely, finishing with an encouraging grin.

As far as she could tell, Damon bought her lie. "Just wait till you feel _this_," he said. He dipped his head down and kissed a trail down to her belt buckle. Effortlessly removing the belt and unbuttoning the jeans, he tugged the pants off and let his fingers linger over her exposed flesh before prying her legs apart.

He bent his head down and ran what she could only assume was a fang along her inner thigh, leaving behind a thin string of blood. Then, he bit down fully into the sensitive flesh, which earned a piercing scream from Elena – so loud it nearly blocked out the sound of the doorbell ringing.

* * *

><p>Sheriff Forbes sat in the squad car for a solid five minutes before finding the nerve to get out of the car. She couldn't understand what was causing the fear and hesitation. There had been murders in Mystic Falls before – granted, far and few between, but they happened, nevertheless. Why should this one be any different?<p>

Any feelings of confidence that she was able to conjure quickly dissipated as she heard a girl scream just before her hand tugged on the bell. Liz's grip on her gun holster tightened as footsteps approached.

Damon answered the door after compelling Elena to stay on the couch. He could, and probably _should_, kill whoever dared to disrupt his time with Elena. His disgruntled mindset shifted to intrigue as he saw the sheriff standing on his porch.

The breath was stolen right from her lungs as she came face-to-face with the man on the tapes. The man who killed those teens. The man who kidnapped Vicki.

"Good evening, sheriff," Damon said coolly, extending his hand. "I don't think we've had a chance to meet yet. I'm Damon Salvatore."

Liz hesitantly shook his hand and formerly introduced herself. "I came here to ask you a few questions, Mr. Salvatore."

"Ask away," he replied, leaning against the doorframe.

"First thing's first, is everything alright in there? I heard screaming…"

Damon laughed lightly, almost sounding embarrassed. "Oh, yes, everything's fine. My girlfriend and I were just messing around."

"Girlfriend? You wouldn't happen to mean Elena Gilbert, would you?"

Damon's eyes narrowed momentarily before he forced a smile. "Yeah, that's her. How did you know?"

Liz shrugged. "It's a small town. Word travels fast."

"So you've come here to question me about my love life? Surely you must have something better to do."

Feeling her confidence return, Liz took a step forward and stared him down. "Actually, I've come to talk to you about the murders that happened at the mall a couple days ago."

"Oh, right I heard about that. Must've been the most exciting thing to happen in this town in a _long_ time," he said unabashedly.

"You'd know all about it, wouldn't you? The security footage and eyewitnesses suggest that you're the man I'm looking for."

A low, sinister laugh rumbled in Damon's chest as he stepped out of the house and cornered the sheriff. "I think you're mistaken."

* * *

><p>Vicki sat up gasping as fresh air made its way into her dead lungs and broken bones snapped back into place. Shortly after that, a train of emotions racked her body. She felt confused…how could she have died twice and come back to life; angered…how dare Damon kill her <em>again<em> over someone like Elena; sad…how would she ever be able to leave this prison of a house and see the people she loved?

Upon hearing a frantic heartbeat that could only belong to Elena, all those emotions vanished and was replaced with the elating feeling of vengeance. She took silent steps toward her unaware prey and licked her lips at the thought of having some more blood. Just before her hands were about to clamp down on Elena's scrawny shoulders, Elena leapt up from her sitting position and charged toward the foyer.

To Vicki, the apparent eternal prisoner of this boarding house, Elena's movement looked like nothing more than a poor escape plan, destined to fail. Seeing this as her only form of entertainment, Vicki reclined across the sofa and propped her head up on a pillow for the best view. She didn't want to miss a moment of Elena's bloodshed.

* * *

><p>Tears trickled out the corners of Elena's eyes as she tried her best to remain sitting where Damon compelled her to stay. Despite knowing Damon for a short time, Elena could hear the threats laced within his responses to the sheriff. <em>Why isn't Sheriff Forbes firing her gun or at least putting handcuffs on him? <em>She wondered. _Does she know that he isn't even _human_?_

Unable to sit and listen to a conversation that would surely end in death, Elena bolted from her seat and grabbed an expensive looking vase off the coffee table. By the time she sneaked into the foyer, Damon was cornering the sheriff with his back facing her. She knew that she needed to make her move quickly before he hears her. With that being known, she lunged forward and slammed the vase into the base of his skull. The ceramic object busted upon impact, which caused some shards to slice Elena's hands, but she could barely feel any pain thanks to the adrenaline.

Damon's body dropped to the floor with a thud. Liz backed away, a mixture of horror, shock and relief dancing across her face. She sidestepped Damon's body and placed a hand on Elena's shoulder. "Elena, are you alright?" she asked, eyes drifting down to the blood stains that Damon was unable to compel from sight.

She nodded, pausing to catch her breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. But we need to get him locked up downstairs before he comes to."

Liz's brow furrowed. "Downstairs? No, we need to get him to the police station. He's a murderer."

"No," Elena said lowly as she reached for his arms. "He's a vampire."

"_Vampire_?" Liz whispered, sounding more disappointed than disbelieving. "How can that be?" It wasn't the fact that Damon was a vampire that bothered her; the council had been inactive for decades. And that's due to the fact that they'd thought vampires were out of Mystic Falls for good.

Before either one of them could convey their thoughts on the matter, Damon's eyes snapped open. His wrists twisted around and grabbed Elena's, effectively pulling her down to the ground. Once she was out of his way, he stormed toward Liz. "I think this has gone on far enough. Don't you?"

Despite the fear forming in her eyes, Liz stood her ground. "You won't get away with this. Your face is on that tape."

Damon shrugged. "Then I guess I'll have to compel the entire police force. Starting with you."

Before she could pull a gun out, Damon sped forward and held her head in his hands. His pupils dilated, and Liz was lost in the haze. "You're going to forget about this miserable night. Go back to the station and destroy every shred of evidence you have on this case."

"I'm going to forget about this night and destroy all the evidence on this case," she repeated in monotone. Elena watched with horror as Liz robotically walked out the door and drove away, leaving her alone with her monster of a "boyfriend," who now knew that she'd been faking it all along.

Not wanting to give him any upper hand, she took off running toward the kitchen. A cry of pure shock and terror reverberated in her throat when he appeared in front of her, defying any sort of logic. She began backing up slowly, cursing when her back hit a wall. "L-let me explain," she stuttered out.

Damon took slow steps toward her, intending to draw out every palpable ounce of fear he could get. He placed a hand over his heart and feigned a hurt expression. "How could you lie to me like that, Elena?"

Elena could hardly breathe, let alone notice that he was anything but saddened. Believing him to truly feel like a victim, she couldn't bite back her commentary. "How could _you_ attack my aunt, among other things?" she mocked.

He laughed mirthlessly as he took one last step toward her and placed a hand on either side of her head. "Let's cut to the chase, Elena. Unless you're a vampire too, you must have some vervain on hand. And something tells me you didn't figure all this out on your own."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Tired of playing pointless games, he slammed his hand against the wall, causing her to jump. It didn't really matter whether she gave him the answers he wanted because soon enough she'd give them to him without hesitation. His hands moved down to her shoulders and trailed along her body, poking and prodding in areas that could be harboring vervain.

As his fingers traced just above her bra, he leaned in close with hardly any space between his lips and hers. "Looks like you don't have any vervain on you now." He paused, licking his lips. "And I know you didn't ingest any because I would've tasted it earlier."

Elena closed her eyes, silently cursing herself for leaving her backpack in the other room. She didn't think begging would really get her anywhere, but she was running out of options. "Damon, please just let me go. I'll do whatever you want…"

She kept her eyes sealed shut until she felt him pull away from her and sigh, sounding as though he was _actually _considering it. But the moment she made eye contact with him, she knew she was horribly mistaken.

"You're right, Elena," he said, smirking. "You _will_ do whatever I want."

* * *

><p>In the next chapter: Once Damon compels Elena, he can't stop, even with simple things. When he finds out about the Halloween party, per a persistent Caroline, he decides that he and Elena should attend. Vicki, left unattended, convinces Jeremy to help her sneak out so they too can join the party. Things take a turn for the worst, though, when another vampire returns to Mystic Falls...<p>

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